Remembered Love
by MommaMinion40
Summary: Continuation of - Part 1 Please Remember Me and Part 2 Before Remembering.  What if she quit running and he told her the truth? What if they finally figure out what they would be willing to do for Remembered Love?
1. Chapter 1

**Remembered Love**

**Chapter 1 – (part 3) If you haven't read "Before Remembering" and "Please Remember Me" you might want to read those first before reading this one! So you guys were very excitable over the "Sookie wanting to run" ending so I figured I needed to post this pretty quickly or I would be burned at the stake. I love that you guys are that into the story and so willing to take care of poor Eric. But I don't think we will be needed. As always I own nothing but a huge Dalmatian who thinks he is a lap dog! CH Rules and I humbly bow at her feet and my beloved BETA sassyvampmamma and my "content/flow/hey that sucks take it out or that was great" girl KJWRIT~~ Thanks girls!**

_LAST TIME end of Before Remembering: I did not wake up until 10:15 the next morning. I smiled into Eric's chest but then I replayed last night's events. OH MY GOD! I had not only agreed to marry Eric but to let him turn me. I agreed to marry Eric Northman, Sherriff of Area 5 - not my Eric. This Eric comes with lots of complications. "Oh shepherd of Judea save me!" I mumbled. _

_I knew that I loved him and could not live without him, but I had an overwhelming desire to RUN!_

As I felt his arms around me, I looked at his beautiful face and thought of how he told me that I "stopped the ache" I knew that running was no longer an option for me. I knew that time in my life was over and I couldn't run from my problems when I was afraid. I loved Eric Northman and he was a Sherriff with responsibilities and power. It was a package deal. It was just like he loved me, all of me, even the broken parts. I cuddled back against him and closed my eyes for a few more minutes. I had "human needs" to attend to so I reluctantly sat up and tried to locate the bathroom.

The room was black save for one lamp that was dimly lit on what seemed to be a desk so that was the direction I began to walk. Once there I saw an envelope on the desk with my name on it. The letter inside was several pages so I thumbed through it and saw that the first page said,

"Sookie, if you are sitting at the desk facing the bed, the bathroom is to your left and the exit to the bedroom and entrance to the elevator that goes to the kitchen is to your right." I smiled realizing he thought of me before he died for the day, but my "human needs" were becoming more urgent so I set the letter aside for now and picked up the t-shirt from the bottom of the bed as I walked toward the bathroom. Eric's bathroom was huge. It was all creamy marble with black accents and it was very masculine. It was Eric. I wanted to go back and read my letter but I REALLY needed a bathroom and felt grimy after a night of love making, not to mention the fact that I'd spent the majority of the prior evening on the floor of Eric's office – yuck!

After taking care of my "human needs" and the best shower of my life, well less the one with Eric, I wrapped a very "Eric sized" towel around myself and went back to the desk to continue my letter. I figured Eric had just left me instructions on how to get out of his resting place and then it dawned on me. WOW, He had brought me to his resting place, not just some bedroom in his house but his actual resting place. My heart did a little dance!

I sat down and began reading the next page of my letter. I was surprised that it wasn't just instructions that included a little hand drawn map like the first page was, but also what seemed to be a love letter. Eric Northman had written me a love letter. I smiled and giggled a little at the thought. I couldn't help but smile again as I looked at Eric's handwriting thinking that he really does have beautiful hand writing. My letter began,

_Dearest Sookie,_

_I hope this morning finds you feeling better and rested. I have but one request, please do not leave. There is much we should discuss. Know that I need you to stay and I would love nothing more than to rise in your arms. Please forgive me and my callousness from last night and my carelessness of this past month. My heart broke last night when you said that you thought I hated you; please know that I do not now nor have I ever hated you. I care for you __so__ much._

I realized as I read the letter that he had written it before we talked last night. This letter was from Eric Northman, Sheriff of Area 5 that made it even more of a miracle. But then I realized he wrote this when he was still in pain. He wrote this while I slept. I felt tears form in my eyes but looked past them needing to see what he had to say no matter the heartache it would bring me. The letter continued,

_Sweet angel, I beg you not to go. I need you. Please you must believe me. Give me a chance to make this right, please. If you are hungry Pam has left food for you in the kitchen. She also should have left some clothing for you in the guest bedroom on that same floor next to the den._

_As much as I want you to stay I understand if you cannot forgive me and feel that you must leave. If that is the case and you must leave please take my car. The keys are on the hook by the garage door. My cell is on the counter on the charger, so please take it as well. My only desire is for you to be safe and happy, even if that is without me._

_But know this Sookie Stackhouse; I will not give up easily. I am over a thousand years old and can be very patient. I will win your heart. I love you Sookie. Please, stay._

_I am yours,_

_E_

The tears were now freely flowing down my face. I walked to the bed and stroked his hair; realizing only now that he had been in so much pain last night. He had hurt like I had.

"Oh baby, I'm so sorry you hurt last night. I'm here now. I will always be here for you!" I whispered.

I know he said that he ached for me but I hadn't even considered that he felt the same pain I had. I kissed his check and would have sworn I'd felt him move for a moment but that is not possible right? Vampires don't move in their sleep or do they? I had only slept with Bill the one time in Dallas and he had not even twitched. UGH, Dallas! What a freaking disaster that was. I shook the thought from my head and kissed Eric again and whispering once more,

"I am here baby. I love you!" I smiled as I tugged the oversized towel around me and padded off with my instructions on how to escape the "bat cave" and get to the kitchen. The security code to get the door to open was my social security number and birthday and I thought to myself, nice touch Viking. The elevator was a different set of numbers that made no sense until I realized the numbers 7822546873 spell out my last name on the key pad causing me to smile again. Eric said the kitchen was on 3 so I hit the number and set out on my adventure to find breakfast!

"Ok Pam, what did you get me for breakfast?" God love her there was fruit, bread for toast, pop-tarts and oatmeal to eat and Orange Juice to drink. I couldn't help but wonder where the hell did she get all this fresh fruit at 1am? I decided after a few moments of contemplation that I didn't care and just enjoyed the oatmeal with some fruit chopped up in it, choosing to save the bread and pop-tarts for an afternoon snack. I noticed that the kitchen was fully stocked and wondered exactly how much food Pam thought I needed for a day. Then it hit me. She had bought all of this because it is my home now too. Somehow Pam had known that Eric and I would find our way back to each other and she knew that I would be spending much of my time here. As I finished my oatmeal I remembered Pam had also bought me clothes. I shuddered at the thought at first, but since she had done such a good job with the food, I would bet she did a great job with the clothes too!

After my leisurely breakfast I made my way to the guest bedroom discovering that the room was almost an exact replica of my bedroom at home! Nice touch Viking, I thought again for the second time this morning. There were several bags of clothes from various designer stores and I once again asked myself "Where in the hell did she get all of this after hours?"

There was bag after bag after bag, all filled with expensive designer clothes. After going through them all and finding nothing that was comfortable enough to lounge around in, I saw a bag from Victoria's Secret. I checked it last and decided to wear a powder blue track suit I found inside with the cutest little white tank that seemed to go with it. You know what they say it is always the last place you look or the last bag, in this case.

I also found other "things" from Victoria's Secret that I would be wearing for Eric's benefit soon, very soon! Pam hadn't spared any expense and I made a mental note that I would have to talk to her about sending some of this back. It was just way too much, but I pushed that from my mind and went back to the bedroom to change out of Eric's towel and into my new plush cute outfit.

I stood there looking at Eric. It was only 11:30, which left me six hours until he rose. I could not help myself but to climb in bed with him. Once against him, he actually moved! I hadn't imagined it this morning! He pulled me closer to him and drew in a breath. There was a small smile on his lips and I felt my heart do the happy dance again. I made him happy even in his daytime sleep. I stayed in his arms and actually fell back asleep for an hour. After waking again I just took a moment to look at his face and I smiled. I was worried and a little scared, but when I thought back to earlier this morning when I had my temporary brain loss and thought about running home. I asked myself, "How stupid am I? I have everything I want and I was going to run? Why do I always want to run from him?" Where are these feelings coming from I wondered and as all the thoughts of running and why swam in my head I felt Eric's grip on me tighten and his face went from peaceful to agonized and I realized he was awake!

"No! Please lover no. Please don't leave me. Sookie… the ache… please, you promised… please…." he pleaded. He wasn't really awake yet he was speaking and his eyes were half opened. He must have been feeling my emotions. Just my thinking of running was hurting him. Oh my God, what would have happened if I had actually left and went home this morning? How could I keep hurting the man I love like this? I love him so much but I couldn't seem to protect him from me; I felt like there was something in that line of thinking but I pushed it away for now in order to soothe my sweet love.

"Eric, baby I'm here. I'm scared, but I swear I will NOT run. I will be here when you wake. I love you baby. I love you." I whispered in his ear, he smiled as he kissed my cheek and just like that he was dead to the world again.

I thought nervously of last night's conversation when Eric had asked me to be there when he rose:

_Soon I was bundled back in his arms. "Sookie, be here when I rise?" He said as more of a question that a statement. He looked at me gently._

"_I promise. I will be in your arms when you rise. What time is sunset tomorrow?" I swore and asked._

"_5:31pm" he advised. I felt a shiver run though my body at that time but I said nothing. I let it go. It was just a coincidence. Everything would be fine. Just because he rose at 5:31 the night he forgot me last time did not mean it would happen again. So I snuggled in and slept like the dead._

I tried to not think about it but the more I tried the more I remember that night. The more I remembered the night he forgot our love, the night he forgot me, forgot us the more uncomfortable I became. I thought about the night he abandoned me. The way he left me as if I were no one and nothing to him was more than I could handle and I was suddenly back in that moment completely lost in that pain once again. I shook my head to clear the thoughts and left the room. Afraid if I stayed in the bedroom my emotions would keep waking Eric and stop him from resting well.

I dressed and went to the den and decided to watch some TV or DVD's as a temporary distraction until sunset. The closer it got to 5:31, the more afraid I became. I could not stop thinking of when he rose at my home and did not remember our love. I suddenly felt sick and started crying. Please God, please don't let it happen again. I tried telling myself that there was no way for it to happen because he was no longer cursed, but my heart would not listen to my head. What if he threw me away? What if he abandoned me again or changed his mind about loving me? I was terrified and even though it was only around 3:30, I ran to the elevator and into his room diving into bed with him as I begged.

"Eric, please wake up. Please tell me you remember me. Eric, Eric….I…Love you…" I sobbed. I was totally irrational and nothing I was saying made any sense but I needed him so much. I was about to start hyperventilating when I felt him move and heard his sweet voice.

"Lover, I am here. You are safe. Why are you so scared?" he asked with hooded eyes and soft voice.

"I'm scared you won't remember me again. I'm afraid you're gonna leave me. Oh Eric please don't go, please don't leave me. I can't watch you drive away from me again. I can still hear the way your tires sounded on the gravel when you left me. I can't do it again! I can't! I am not strong enough! I am so sorry… please… I am so scared. I can't live without your love." I cried. I laid there and continued to whimper his name as I felt his hand on my back. He started stroking my hair while he spoke to me so softly, so gently, I had to strain to hear him.

"Sookie, I won't leave you. Stay here in my arms. It will soothe you, trust me. I love you!" he paused for a moment to pull me closer and kiss the top of my head. "I can no longer fight the pull to rest but I will rise soon and I will love you all night. I will hold you all night. Whatever you need, whatever it takes. We will get each other through this. I swear Sookie you can trust me with your heart." and with that he was gone.

I took a deep breath and suddenly felt like a weight had been lifted. He must think I'm so weak. I knew that I really was stronger than this. I just felt so lost right now. The only time I've felt whole all day has been when I've been in his arms. Maybe that's why I felt so lost. Maybe I needed Eric to help me get through all these emotions and he needs me too. I began trying to make sense of my emotions and I sat up in bed but decided to stay right beside him. He was right, his presence did soothe me. Why did I want to run this morning? Why did I get so scared? So I started with the obvious which is that he loved me. Other men have said they loved me and left me, hurt me, abused me. I decided to follow that thought process as painful as it was obviously going to be.

Alright then, so if every man I have ever loved has hurt me, abused me or abandoned me in some way, where does it start? Daddy. Loosing Daddy started it all. It was the first straw. It wasn't Mom and Daddy's fault that they drowned in the flood but it broke something fundamental in me. Daddies make their little girls feel safe. Daddies aren't supposed to leave their little girls. I never really felt totally safe again. I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. It made me be afraid to be happy because I knew how fast good times can go bad. But how does that play into me wanting to run from Eric? He loves me, why do I want to run? Do I want to leave before our relationship goes bad? I was still unsure so I continued to sort through my past.

I knew what Uncle Bartlett did to me was unforgivable. There is a special place in hell for people who abuse children. He was supposed to love me and protect me but all he did was use and abuse me. What he did made me close myself off to the world. If it hadn't been for Gran, I wouldn't have been able to survive.

Gran had been my link to the world. As a child I clung to her, as a teen I had often hid behind her. I told would be friends that I could not go places with them because "Gran needs me at home." As a young woman I had hid behind her by telling myself I could not go to college because she needed me to stay home. I had used Gran as a security blanket and when Rene, who was supposed to be my friend, killed her he had ripped away my anchor and I began once again to withdraw from the world. Jason should have been there for me but he chose to attack me. He should have pulled me into his arms and told me as my big brother, that he would be there for me. Instead he chose to blame me for Gran's death and no amount of apologies afterward could fix what he had done that night.

But Jason was always of little or no use to me as far as emotional support went. He never understood what it would have meant to me if he would've used his popularity to help me in high school. But my "gift" made him nervous. He could have made people see me in a different light, something other than "Crazy" Sookie!" and I will never forget the day I actually heard him join in the teasing. He was a popular Senior, and I was a Freshman. "She can't help it really! She's always been a little slow!" He said that, he'd actually said that. I walked home alone, embarrassed and ashamed. I think I actually believed him for a while. I felt so betrayed. I sank further into myself and retreated there for close to a week. Gran confronted me and I told her what happened and after she smacked Jason in the head, she told me I was beautiful, bright and special. It made me feel better but the damage was done, I still loved Jason but I would never really trust him with my feelings again.

Then I meet Bill. UGH, Bill. I had trusted and loved him unconditionally and look at how well that turned out. He abandoned me in Dallas to seek revenge and get a feed. He flaunted other women in front of me while on our "break." He left me for Lorena and did not even have the decency to break up with me. He had Eric and Pam do it. I mean who does that? A teenage boy maybe but not a 150 year old vampire!

Then I thought of my love, my Eric. It always seemed to always be Eric who made everything okay. When Longshadow attacked me it was Eric who saved me. When the Maenad attacked me it was Eric who called Dr. Ludwig, took the majority of the poison from my body and paid the bill.

It was Eric who sat with tweezers and gently removed the glass out of my arm in that hotel room in Dallas while telling me stories to keep my mind off of the pain. It was Eric who threw his body over mine and took the first bullet to save me at Stan's house when we were attacked. It was Eric who took me to that damn orgy and made sure no one hurt me.

It was Eric who followed me to Jackson to be sure I was safe. It was Eric who stayed with me when everyone else had left me after I was staked. It was Eric who held me in the back of that car all the way to Russell's estate and took gentle care of me. It was Eric who gave me his blood to heal me so I could save Bill. It was Eric who pulled me out of the trunk of that car after Bill attacked me and it was Eric who took me home and saved me over and over from the Jackson Were's. It was Eric who paved my drive way. It was such a small act, but it was something he knew I needed.

It was Eric who, even with his memory loss, saved me over and over during the whole Were-Witch war. It was Eric who took that bullet from Debbie Pelt's gun. Even when he lost our time together he had bought me that red coat just because he knew I needed one. It was always Eric. OH MY GOD! It is Eric! It has always been Eric!

I had my "light bulb" moment as Oprah would call it. The last person who loved me and took care of me like this was Gran. Gran believed in me, loved me and cared for me. When I lost Gran, it devastated me but now I had Eric. Eric is the one who had always believed in me and he had loved me through it all. And I realized that I knew all along that he loved me, or at the very least cared for me and I had been pushing him away because I didn't want to hurt again like I did when Gran died. I wanted to run because I was afraid of Eric dying, not of him leaving me! Crap! What. The. Hell?

Then to top it all off I realized, "Holy cow, I have loved Eric for as long as he has loved me." All of the times he came for me, protected me, now I understood exactly why I had acted the way I had. I had loved Eric Northman since Jackson too, and I was terrified he was going to get killed one of these days while trying to save me and I would end up all alone again! I was more afraid of him getting killed while attempting to save me than of him failing to save me and me dying. I was afraid he would get caught up in some of my self-induced drama and get himself killed. I wanted to run because I was afraid he would leave me by dying so I was trying to beat him to the punch and leave first to keep him from getting killed. Oh my stars, well this is going to be an interesting night.

We were going to have to face this together and that meant talking about three situations. First, we had to talk about the pain and hurt of the last month that we both experienced. I was going to have to tell him about what happened the night he left me and the night he left me that damn check. That conversation in and of itself was going to be emotionally draining but on top of that I have two more points to make. So secondly, I am going to have to tell Eric I'm afraid he's going to abandon me by dying on me. And last but not least, but what I am betting will be his personal favorite; I'm afraid my danger magnet self will get him killed and that's why I have been running from him and pushing him away. Oh hell, why can't we just have hot monkey sex instead? Well maybe later….

**OK so there it is... my theory on Sookie and her always running. Let me hear from you! Please review. I love them like Lady Gaga love shiny things!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – I HURT TOO**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS AND KIND WORDS! Also thank you to my wonder Content editor KJWRIT and the super woman of BETA my adorable sassyvampmomma. HERE WE GO…. Keep your arms inside the ride at all times and I own nothing but an old Jeep that runs hot! Seriously CH (who I adore) owns everything! **

**EPOV**

I awoke in Valhalla. It had to be heaven because Sookie was in my arms; snuggled firmly against my chest. She was sound asleep. Poor angel, she had not slept for 4 weeks and it was all catching up to her little body. I looked down at her and was able to see she was wearing a soft white t-shirt and a pair of white lacy thong panties. I would have to thank Pam for that because my conservative little Sookie would not have chose them on her own. I did not want to wake her but she was on the cusp of waking on her own and she starting making these adorable noises and squirming against me.

I kissed her gently on the cheek and held her in my arms. She smiled her sleepy sweet smile at me and I just loved it. I could imagine waking to this every night for all eternity. I swear I felt my dead heart beat just thinking of her letting me turn her and getting to spend forever with her had been a dream of mine for so long. Now one day it would be a reality. I thought all of this over as she looked over my shoulder at the clock and furrowed her little brow as she looked back at me and said,

"It's not 5:31; it's only 4:47. How are you awake?" she yawned.

"I am ancient. I can wake before the sun fully sets. I just can't leave my resting place until dark." I explained and went on to say, "So lover, we have approximately 40 minutes that we are stuck in this bed. Whatever do you want to do with our time?" I smirked as a wiggle my eyebrows at her!

"Eric, there are some 'things' that I need to talk to you about. It's nothing bad, I think I figured some pretty important things out today and I need to tell you. But right now, I need to be in your arms. I am sorry I woke you so much today." she said with her eyes cast downward.

"Sookie, look at me." I gently coaxed. Her little eyes were full of unshed tears and I kissed her lips softly and continued to speak. "I love you and I meant what I said earlier Sookie, whatever it takes to get you, to get us, through this I will do. But right now I have another promise to keep. I promised you that I would hold you, love you all night and I intend to keep that promise and every other I made to you not so long ago." I smiled at my heart's desire as she flung her arms around my neck and buried her face in the crook of my neck.

I held her and rocked her in my arms as I hummed a song I had not sung in over ten centuries. I used to hum it to my little girl, Aunna. Thinking of Aunna always made me think of Aude, the only other woman who held my heart. In some ways, Sookie is very much like Aude, strong willed, stubborn to a fault, brave, but in the next moment vulnerable, fragile and loving. Being in Sookie arms made me think of home and family; all the things I lost when I was turned. Thoughts of my two sons and tiny daughter float through my mind. My boys were older and on their way to becoming young men but the youngest Aunna, was very much daddy's little girl and I had have always felt I failed her when Aude died. I had so many feelings run through me all at once, I could feel Sookie's pain, love and need; and then there was my own feelings of loss, longing, love and the overwhelming desire to comfort and be comforted.

In the next moment Sookie was cupping my face and looking so concerned at me. She spoke softly,

"Eric? Baby, why are you crying?"

I spoke quickly and from my heart. "Sookie, I hurt too. I have been remembering my time as a human and my children. I lost them when I became a vampire. My boys, I knew they would have been alright. They were already becoming strong warriors but I also had a little girl, Aunna. She was so sad the last time I saw her. She didn't want me to remarry. She was still mourning her mother, my wife Aude, when I left that night to meet my prospective bride. She was angry with me. I feel like I let her down. I failed her. She was headstrong and I promised her, I would be there for her and she would not have to marry anyone she did not love, but I don't know what happened to her after I was turned. Women were property in my lifetime and I don't know what happened to my little girl." The reality of that hit me, "Sookie, I don't know what happened to my little girl." and feeling safe for the first time in so long I wept in my lovers arms.

Sookie held me tightly in her embrace and I felt peace wash over me. She kissed my lips and smiled at me.

"Eric, do you remember where you lived? I mean, could you go to the exact spot where you lived when you were human?"

"Yes. I have returned many times to my home land and my village or what is left of it." I explained.

"Have you ever told them goodbye, your family I mean, did you ever tell them goodbye while you were there?"

"No. My maker only allowed me to see them from afar. They were alive in my brothers home so I knew they were cared for but they were dead by the time my maker freed me and there was no one, no way to…."

"That's not what I mean Eric. I didn't get to say goodbye to my parents. They died in a flash flood and when I went to their graves I told them everything I wanted them to know. I told them how much I loved them and said goodbye. I did the same thing with Gran. We could do that baby. I would go with you. If you want to tell her goodbye, I will go with you!" She smiled sweetly.

"You amaze me Sookie! You amaze me. What have I done to deserve an angel like you?" Was all I could get say at the moment as my emotions overtook me yet again as a thousand years of repressed emotions ripped though me like a sword. I shook from the force of them and my dearest one brushed my hair from my eyes and stroked my hair. With her lips pressed to my forehead as if to comfort me, she cooed,

"Eric I love you and you are my life now. It's me who doesn't deserve you. You always come for me. You always save me and protect me. And now I will always come for you. I will always protect your heart. I love you Eric. I love you!" My sweet angel began to weep with me and for me. It was the sweetest sight I have ever seen. Then she tilted her mouth up to mine and whispered to me again.

"I know I said we need to talk but… oh Eric… I need you. I need you to love me now. I want you inside of me. Be sweet and love me like I am fragile because right now I feel like I could break into a million pieces." she rambled as she reached between us and began stroking me.

"Sookie, my lover, my life…." And with that I gently sat up with her in my arms so I could relieve her of the t-shirt she was wearing. I just looked at her for a moment after. She looked so tiny in the middle of the bed. I leaned in and laid her down on the bed and we began kissing. The kiss was first filled with emotions and then with fire. I kissed my way down her neck to her beautiful breasts. I tenderly kissed them as if I were kissing her mouth. She ran her fingers through my hair and the sensation of that made me groan against her. I moved the bulk of my body between her legs and continued kissing down her exquisite body.

"Eric that feels so wonderful… oh…. Oh… YES!" she exclaimed and spurred me to continue.

I reached her little white lacy panties and began pulling them slowly down her legs. I kept eye contact with her the entire time I was removing them and I cannot even begin to describe the look in her eyes. There was love, comfort, caring, need, lust, want, desire; all emotions that were so closely related but each different in their own right.

I took her left leg and began kissing unhurriedly back up to her hot, wet core. I placed her left, then her right leg over my shoulders and pulled her up to my face by cupping my hands under her. She was whimpering and moving her hips; all the while looking into my eyes. Damn that was so hot.

I lightly licked the little bundle of nerves that were throbbing beneath my lips. "Oh Sookie you taste so damn sweet. I'll never get over how good you taste." I moaned and she bucked again.

I kissed her core like it was her mouth and then I worked her little swollen nub as she screamed my name telling me,

"Eric I need more. PLEASE! NOW…" She came hard and I drank her down.

She pulled at me and I knew she was ready and that she needed the same thing I needed. I laid her back on the bed and rose over her. I entered her gradually so she could adjust to my size. She was still so tight.

"Sookie you are so tight, so wet….ahhh so hot, lover…oh…" the words were escaping from my mouth and I wished she would grab my hair and pull me to her and by the gods if she did not do just that. It was incredible. She anticipated every move I was making. She met me thrust for thrust and kiss for kiss. It was already too much when she looked at me with tears in her eyes and said,

"Home, Eric, you feel like home. Oh God I love you. I am yours. I always have been. I just didn't understand it before….. I love you!" I listened to her words and her body shuddered, her walls clamped down on me and we both came to our completions together.

I rolled to my side and pulled her to me to face me. She looked at me like she was so lost. I knew she needed to tell me everything but I want a few more seconds of just this, just our love. So I kissed her and said, "I love you Sookie Stackhouse. I love you. I am yours." She smiled at my sentiment.

We laid there in each other's arms, sedated and in love. She was trembling again. I tilted her head to look into her eyes and I saw pain. She was far away, remembering something from the past that was terrifying her.

"Sookie, don't be afraid. I am here now." I said as I tried to soothe her. I softly stroked her cheek and kissed the top of her head. I knew what needed to be done so I drew in a breath I had no need for and gently prodded.

"Sookie, we need to talk about the month we were apart." Just by looking at her I could tell she was still worried about me leaving. Her being in pain hurt me too. She drew a shaky breath,

"I mourned you like you were finally dead. One night I wished I was dead too. I prayed for it, for death. I think part of me did die that night." she blurted out suddenly and gasped.

I held her for a long while until she leaned back, looked at me and said with tears rolling down her face,

"You rose at 5:31pm that night…." Well hell that explains the look on her face last night and her terror all damn day long. Shit, how had I missed that? I shook my head and attempted to not lose my mind while my dearest one told me of how I had abandoned and left her alone and hurting.

**SPOV**

I took a deep breath. This was going to be so hard. My words would hurt him, but he wanted to know and I had to tell him.

"You rose at 5:31pm that night and I was running down the hall to get to you. I just wanted to be wrapped up in your arms. I wanted you to make me feel safe. The night before had been hell on us. The Were-witch war and then the whole fiasco with Debbie Pelt happened and that was too much for me. I just wanted you to hold me all night but that didn't happen. I knew the minute you looked at me that I had lost you. I have no idea how I kept it together but I did. There were several moments I wanted to touch your face, hair or just your hand but you were so cold and distant." I paused to catch my breath for a moment.

He looked at me and said, "If it helps, I wanted to hold you too. It was just so confusing. I didn't understand why I was there or why I was feeling so lost."

I nodded and smiled. It did help to know he was not trying to be cold or hurt me but that he was just confused. It gave me comfort to know that he had wanted to hold me but his confusion is what kept him from doing it, and it was not due to him not caring. I drew in another breath and continued.

"When you left with Pam and didn't say goodbye, it hurt. I sat on the couch and I listened to you drive away. I can still hear the way the tires sounded on the gravel in the driveway. I tried to stay busy. I went to clean the bathroom because with or without amnesia you are incapable of picking up your towels." I smiled at him attempting to lighten the mood and he smiled and kissed my head but motioned for me to continue.

"But your scent, it was everywhere in my bathroom and my bedroom. It overwhelmed me and I had to get out of those rooms so I went to the den. I laid there for a long time and just cried. I wanted to be in your arms so much. I saw your afghan and the quilt, so I wrapped them around me and cried myself to sleep. I had a dream that you came back and comforted me but when I woke I was all alone….abandoned." I could not hold back the tears any longer; I sobbed.

"I did come back Sookie. I kissed your forehead and brushed your hair out of your eyes. Your hair was wet from your tears. That was the first night I felt the ache. I am so full of regret for leaving you little one." he said and he stroked my hair before asking,

"Is that the worst of it Sookie?" The way he spoke it was as if he already knew it was not the worst.

"No there's more Eric. It will be hard for you to hear." I advised and he nodded for me to continue.

"The next night when you came to the house I had such hope. I thought you were coming home but then when you spoke to me I knew that was not the case. The way you left, telling me throw the coat away and nothing more was hard on me. I went to the kitchen, right after you left, to get some milk and that was when I saw it."

I trembled and cried softly.

"You saw what Sookie?" he asked with no idea what that check had done to me.

"The check, I saw the check for $50,000. I know how the money was agreed on but when I saw it, I collapsed on the floor. It made me feel like a whore. I thought you thought I was a whore. I cried and I couldn't get up. I don't know how long I laid there on the floor but I couldn't walk so I finally crawled to the couch. I laid there and begged for you to come home. It hurt so bad, to think you were out there thinking I only helped you for the money. I never cashed the check. It's in my purse. I would have thrown it away but it was all I had left of you. Sometimes, late at night, I would just sit and look at it. How crazy is that?" I was weeping again and this time there was no stopping the tears.

**EPOV**

"Oh lover I am so sorry. Oh my sweet angel I will spend eternity making it up to you. I love you…. I love you… I love you…" I just kept saying it over and over hoping she would feel how much I loved her and stop crying. By the gods I hate it when she cries. I knew that there was one more night she wanted to tell me about and I had a feeling I knew which one. Should I confess I was there for that night as well but was too much of a coward to confront her and tell her I loved her, all the pain I could have spared her, damn it I had been such a fool.

**SPOV**

Eric was humming again. I have no idea how long I cried but I felt a little calmer now, so I decided to continue.

"Eric, I want to tell you about the night I told you I wanted to die. It started off pretty normal. I worked at Merlotte's that night and everything was going good. But then I saw Bill and he asked how you were doing and I had no idea. I hadn't heard from you or Pam. I lied and told him you were great and that I had just got off the phone with you before he came in; I don't know why I did that. I think I just didn't want him pitying me like it seemed everyone else was doing." I paused for enough time for Eric to say,

"Fucking Compton…that bastard never deserved you…." I cut him off.

"Eric, this is not about Bill. Anyway, I drove home but it was like you were close to me somehow, like I could almost reach out and touch you. That feeling was horrible. I tried to sleep but I couldn't. I finally got up and went to your resting place. Well, the place you rest in at my house. I just sat there and cried. I missed you so much. I went to the den and sat in front of the fire place because that was "our spot" to just sit and talk. That was when I prayed for it. I told God I was tired of him taking everyone I loved from me and that if I couldn't be with you…. I wanted to be with Gran."

I wept and then in a voice far too small for him he said,

"I was there and I left you. I watched you come home. I watched you try to sleep. I watched you cry and I left you there on the floor. I left you there." The red tears that streaked his face were almost as unbearable as his words.

"But I thought you said you had loved me since Jackson, so why Eric? How could you have left me there? Could you not hear me begging for you?" I wept.

"No Sookie I swear I did not know it was me you wanted or the hounds of Hell could not have kept me out of that house. I feared they were tears for Compton or someone else. I felt so undeserving of you that I could not even begin to believe your tears were for me." He made a noise that sounded something like a howl as he threw the covers from us and got out of the bed. He sat down at his desk and put his head in his hands. He sat like that for a few minutes before he looked up and said,

"Sookie, that night, did you try…. did you attempt to…" He could not complete the sentence it hurt him so bad.

"No Eric, I would never attempt to take my own life. I think that is an unforgivable sin but I did pray for God to take me. I figured if He did it, He couldn't be mad at me." I tried to explain my screwed up religious convictions to him.

"Eric, are you angry with me? Is that why you got out of bed? I am sorry…."

"NO!" he cut me off. "No Sookie I am angry with myself. I love you so much but yet I have failed you miserably.

"Baby, it's all in the past. Can we just put it in a jar and leave it on a shelf somewhere? I mean, it is over right? We won't ever leave each other again, right?" I asked. He looked at me so lovingly it took my breath away.

"No, we will never leave each other again and yes, we can shelve all of this because it will NEVER happen again. You never have to think of those nights again Sookie, never again." He climbed back into bed and I rubbed my face on his chest and neck.

"Sookie, I love it when you do that, when you rub your scent me and mark me as yours." He stated like it was a normal boyfriend/girlfriend thing to do!

"I know. You told me last night in the car." I sighed totally relaxed and happy.

"No Sookie, I did not." He said with some hesitation in his voice.

"Yes you did baby. You said, 'that is right little one, scent me. Mark me as yours.' "I told him.

In a very serious tone he said, "No Sookie, I did not say that. However I thought it, several times in the car while Pam drove us home."

Well Shit. 'Serves me right for relaxing', I thought as the other shoe dropped.

"Sookie has this happened before?"

Well Double Shit!

**LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK…. HOW WILL ERIC REACT? WHAT WILL THEY DO? WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN THEY ESTABLISH THEIR BOND? WILL HER POWER INCREASE?**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 –Trust me to hold & protect you

**A/N: OK guys I just want to say thank you for all the support and let you know I appreciate you taking the time to review. I try very hard to respond to each one but if I ever miss you know that I did not mean to and I appreciate you. I want to thank my totally awesome Content Editor, kjwrit and the one and only super fantastic beta sassyvampmomma! **

**ALSO on a sad note my granny is not doing well at all so if next Tuesday you don't hear from me just know it is due to I am traveling. **

**OK***Warning*** We will be dealing with Sookie's past in tonight's episode and that includes Uncle Barlette's abuse of her. I will NOT go into any details but I know sometimes I like a heads up in a story if abuse is brought up. HUGS**

_Last Time: I rubbed my face on his chest and neck. _

"_Sookie, I love it when you do that, when you rub your scent on me and mark me as yours." He stated like it was a normal boyfriend/girlfriend thing to do!_

"_I know. You told me last night in the car." I sighed totally relaxed and happy._

"_No Sookie, I did not." He said with some hesitation in his voice._

"_Yes you did baby. You said, 'that is right little one, scent me. Mark me as yours.' "I told him._

_In a very serious tone he said, "No Sookie, I did not say that. However I thought it, several times in the car while Pam drove us home." _

_Well Shit. 'Serves me right for relaxing', I thought as the other shoe dropped._

"_Sookie has this happened before?"_

_Well Double Shit!_

**SPOV **

I stiffened in his arms and I started to pull back; but that would be running and I was determined to break that habit and not run from him. Even if he was furious with me I knew he wouldn't hurt me, not now, not after everything we have been through. So, I snuggled in closer to him and sighed,

"Yes."

"When Sookie? When did this happen?" he asked in a serious tone but his eyes were gentle.

I relaxed a little and said, "The night you killed Longshadow to save me."

"What did you hear?" he asked thoughtfully.

"You thought about how to get me to do your bidding. You thought that you could just threaten to hurt the people I loved to get me to do what you want, but then you thought about the bar and wanting a legitimate business and decided to make a deal with me instead." I paused for a brief moment

"Eric, it scared me to hear your thoughts. It was like a snake pit swirling but now that I know you better I know it was just your mind running all the options. You were planning and re-planning and then planning again." I blurted.

"Honestly Sookie, I am glad that is all you heard. I thought about you in a very impure way that night. I was also furious that Longshadow touched you let alone attacked you. I was already very attracted to you. After that night, I started having 'unexplained' feelings for you." He grinned at me and then continued, "That is the only time; that's all you heard?" he asked.

"I think I heard Stan in Dallas; I think he thought of his real name, but that was the only time I heard you." I confessed but I was never quite sure about that one.

"The only time until last night you mean." he added. I nodded in response. His face held nothing more than a blank expression. I knew what he was doing. Battle plans, Chess Sets, Planning, Re-planning and then planning again. He was coming up with contingency plans to keep me safe and then suddenly he spoke.

"Sookie, I need to know something. Earlier, when we were making love, you pulled my hair and pulled me to you. Why did you do that?" he questioned.

Is this a trick question I thought as I answered, "Well because you asked me to, you said something along the lines of 'pull me down to you by my hair, by the gods that would feel good' so I did what you said. Why do you ask?"

"Because when you did it, I thought you had read my mind and it seems you did. I didn't ask you to do that out loud but I did think it in my head." he confessed to me with those same gentle eyes and a worried face.

"Oh GOD! NO! I don't want to hear vampires Eric! They will kill me! I don't want to start hearing you when we make love…." I was hyperventilating as I thought of how horrible it would be if I could hear him and he started thinking about some fangbangers he used to screw when his face paled even more than normal and he shouted.

"I would never think of another woman when I am with you! Sookie I love you! You are magnificent and you are the only woman I want. The only woman I need!" I sat there with my eyes opened wide and I think my mouth too. That was when it hit him.

"I heard you Sookie. I heard you too." He whispered. "It was more like I was seeing a scene play out in your head than hearing your thoughts." He paused after trying to explain telepathy to me much like I had tried to explain it to Bill. Then he suddenly continued,

"Perhaps we are closer to being bonded that I thought. I thought it would take one more mutual blood exchange but you have had my blood technically 4 times now." He said more to himself than to me.

"No I have not. I had your blood last night and in Jackson." I said quickly.

"No Lover. How could you forget your first taste of me?" He smirked, that damn smirk, before continuing to jog my addled mind. "You had my blood in Dallas when you 'saved me' by sucking the bullets out of me and then the night of the orgy you bit into my hand when the Maenad attempted to enter your mind." He smiled at the memories. I however did not, I scowled at remembering how he tricked me and blurted at him,

"Eric, those times where such a small amount that doesn't really count, and as soon as we figure out all this 'hearing' each other you are going to explain all this bonding crap, right?" If I had been standing I would have stomped my foot to add emphasis to my pout.

"Yes Sookie, it counts, it all counts. I will explain bonding and what it means to be pledged to one another very soon, I promise." He smiled a sad smile and I could not help but wonder so I asked him,

"Eric, are you mad at me for not telling you?" I asked remembering how afraid I was that he would find out I heard him. His eyes widened as I knew he felt that fear.

"You were afraid of me?" he said as a statement and a question.

"Yes. I didn't tell Bill either. I thought….I thought you would kill me or order him to do it." I cried as I whispered my darkest secret from Dallas. I had never trusted Bill to keep me safe. Even though we were long over it still hurt to admit it out loud, even to Eric.

"Oh little one, I am so sorry you were afraid and alone in this but you were wise not to tell anyone and we must keep this between us. For now let's not even mention it to Pam. She's loyal to me and you but she guards her privacy fiercely. It will make her uncomfortable. Alright Sookie?" he asked sweetly. I nodded in response as he continued,

"Sookie, we will need to work on this ability and others that I believe lay dormant inside you. I think you have yet to tap your abilities and I know you're afraid of it but we could use it to our advantage. There are many situations that you being able to hear my thoughts and vice versa could come in handy for us." he advised me. I panicked a little, I don't want the abilities I have now not to mention that I don't really want to hear him and vice versa and so I said,

"Eric, maybe I won't be able to hear you so clearly. Maybe it is just because we are so close now and the other time was a fluke. I had your blood last night and that night I had a **lot** of Bill's blood and…." he cut me off.

"Why had you had Compton's blood? Had you been injured?" Eric asked with a hint of anger in his voice.

"No, he said it would help me do a better job for you. That if we could find out who the thief was you would find me an asset and…. well… you would be more apt to leave me alone and not hurt me." I stammered.

"He told you I might hurt you? He forced his blood on you Sookie. He was trying to form a blood bond with you against your will. Did he ever speak to you of these things?" he asked hurriedly.

"No. He told me very little about vampires or your ways." I realized how Bill had kept me in the dark on many things and I felt fear rip through my body. What else had Bill kept from me? Did he even love me? I had an overwhelming feeling that Bill was using me but I didn't know if the feeling was coming from me or from Eric. Thinking back to my relationship with Bill, it was Eric who always explained things to me. It was Bill who always said 'don't worry Sookie' or 'I'll take care of it' but he never explained anything to me. Eric must have sensed my distress because he began stroking my cheek and he whispered,

"Sookie do not be afraid. I am here for you now. You might have been alone and afraid before but you are no longer alone and there is no reason for you to be afraid. I will be here for you and I and I ALONE will protect you." I could tell he was upset because he had dropped his contractions.

"I understand Eric. Don't worry about before. I've been afraid and alone since I was a little girl. I have been my whole life and if it hadn't been for Gran I wouldn't even know love or how it feels. I'm just glad I don't have to be alone anymore and I'm so glad I have you!" As soon as I said the words 'little girl' I thought about Uncle Barlette and how scared I had been of him. I felt Eric's arms tighten around me and looked up to gaze up into his ocean blue eyes.

"Sookie, what happened to you when you were a little girl? Who hurt you?" he whispered as I trembled.

**EPOV **

I felt Sookie's mind shift in my own. I couldn't hear thoughts as she does but more like I could see flashes of her memories. She went somewhere dark. I could see a little girl that had to be her, shaking in a dark small area, a closet perhaps. The girl had her knees pulled up to her chin and was pushed to the back of the small enclosure. Her face was covered in tears and her shirt was torn. She was rocking herself and then the vision was gone. She looked up into my eyes and trembled as I asked,

"Sookie, what happened to you when you were a little girl? Who hurt you?"

"I had a 'funny' uncle."

"What is a 'funny' uncle? I am unfamiliar with this term. What does it mean?" I asked softly.

"He molested me. It started when I was five. He… he never...you know… it was just...he would make me..." she sobbed as she whispered events so horrible I could feel my blood boil.

I held my precious lover as she told me a tale of horror and being the father of a daughter it angered me even more. How could a man hurt a child in this way? I would go to any length to protect her, especially now with her new ability. If other vampires knew of this she was right in thinking they would go to any lengths to kill her. She had long finished her tale and she lay still in my arms. She had cried herself to sleep.

While she slept, I began to make mental notes of vampires who owed me their fealty, vampires who would side with me if I had to seize power from Sophie Anne or even the council. I also noted the Were Herveaux and the pack. The Shifter, while a pain in my ass, would go to any length to protect her. The fairy, Claudine, always seemed to pop up to save and protect Sookie. Claudine had ties to Brigant and that could serve me well, I thought. Then I smiled as I realized how well Sookie knew me. I was doing exactly what she said I did; I was planning, re-planning and planning again for every contingency.

I felt like I had missed so much of her life. I felt guilt over the hardships she had endured in her short lifespan. Sookie only slept for about 30 minutes before she started to stir. She looked up at me with her sweet sleepy eyes only now they were swollen from her tears and she simply smiled at me and I swear I felt my dead heart beat.

"I'm sorry Sookie. I am so sorry I was not there to protect you from such horrors. I will not let you be harmed again. I will protect you." I tenderly promised.

"Eric, none of this was your fault. You didn't even know me back then. There was no way you could have known there was a little girl in Bon Temp being abused by her crazy great Uncle." she uttered quietly.

There was so much I wanted her to know. I wanted her to understand the lengths that I would go to just to protect her. What I was willing to do. "Sookie, I give you my vow, no one will ever harm you again. There have been others in my life that I would have killed for but Sookie, I would die for you." There is a distinct difference I thought right before Sookie began to yell.

"NO! Eric NO! Don't ever say that again…no… please…" she gasped.

**SPOV**

I heard the words I feared the most leave his mouth.

"_Sookie, I give you my vow, no one will ever harm you again. There have been others in my life that I would have killed for but Sookie, I would die for you."_

I felt my heartbeat increase as I chastised him for saying the words out loud. It was one thing to know that he would die to save me, but it was an entirely different matter to hear him say it out loud.

"Eric that is what I am afraid of the most. I figured it out today. The reason I run, the reason I pull away from you is not because I am afraid you're going to leave me. I'm afraid of you dying on me." I confessed. I knew I had to tell him all of it but he interrupted me.

"Sookie, I am extremely hard to kill. Do you know how rare it is for a vampire to reach my age? I can assure you it is not luck that has kept me alive but cunning, fighting ability and my ruthlessness." He kinda growled at me. It was almost like I had insulted him by insinuating he could be killed.

"Eric that's not all, I realized some pretty important things today about me and why I run, well why I run from you anyways. I want you to just listen okay, just listen." I quietly pleaded.

I drew in a breath and tried to explain to him all the realizations I had this afternoon while he was resting.

"Eric I'm terrified that you are going to get killed one of these days trying to save me and I'll end up all alone again! I'm more afraid of you getting killed while attempting to save me than of you failing to save me and me getting killed. I'm afraid you will get caught up in some of my self-induced drama and get killed. I want to run because I'm afraid you will leave me by dying so I think I'm trying to beat you to the punch by leaving first. I want to leave you because I am trying to protect you." I tried to say in plain words and give him all my reasons for my past actions.

He sat in an unnerving calm. He pulled me closer and quietly said,

"Sookie are you leaving me? I thought this was settled! NO more leaving each other…" he was starting to get really wound up when I stopped him.

"Eric, I am not leaving you. I just want you to understand what I fear the most. There is more. Are you ready to hear everything?" I questioned. He simply nodded. I looked up into his eyes and said,

"Eric what I fear the most is, what if you turn me and then I get you killed? I'll be all alone for eternity. Everyone I have ever loved has died or abandoned me, and Eric, I cannot lose you as well. That's why I run. I'm afraid of being left behind." I confessed. He smiled a knowing smile and I 'heard' him think, _"This is normal. This I can handle. I can help her with this."_

"Sookie what you are feeling is normal. I have **no** love lost for my maker but the thought of him being finally dead when I was a young vampire did frighten me and Pam, she was a nervous wreck when I first turned her. By the gods, when I released her to go her own way I thought I was going to have to have someone move me during the day to get her to strike out on her own. She was terrified that something was going to happen to me and she would be alone. It's normal to worry that your maker is going to leave you and for you it will be doubly so because we are so closely tied because of our love, not to mention your past." He paused and smiled at me with that gentle smile that only I see. Well me and maybe Pam.

"So how did Pam handle it?"

"In a way that wouldn't work for you, she became clingy. She wouldn't go anywhere without me. She finally confessed in much the same way as you have tonight. I explained it was normal and that I am Eric 'fucking" Northman and I am not leaving this world by anyone's sword." He grinned and then looked at me as he stroked my cheek.

"Eric, what if I do need to be clingy? What if I need a couple of nights like this? Of you holding me and talking to me, and of us just staying here in our own little world, would that be ok? Could we do that; can you take the time off from work?" I asked with a bit of hesitation.

"Lover, I would like nothing more than SEVERAL nights of just holding you, caring for you and taking care of ALL your needs." he said sweetly but with a hint of seduction in his voice. "And Sookie I own the damn bar; I can take a couple of years off if I want." He laughed that unguarded laugh that made me fall for him back when he was staying with me and it made me giggle as I hugged him, before I asked yet another question.

"Is it okay with you if I talk to Pam about this? I mean, is it okay for me to tell her you're going to turn me? I think it might help me feel better if I could talk to someone who has been through it all and about how scared I am." I asked. He nodded before he made me a promise that felt so good.

"Sookie you have to trust me enough to not only hold you but to protect you, to protect us! I will be your husband, bonded, pledged and maker. It has been my dream for some time to have you in all those ways. Honestly lover, do you really think I'm going to let danger come to you, now that I finally have you?" His words made me smile and felt so good to hear. They gave me peace and hope; and I was filled with tranquility.

"Thank you Eric. Thank you for making this so easy. Do you know how important it makes me feel when you talk to me like you have tonight? No one ever did this for me except for maybe Gran and even then I didn't tell her everything because I never wanted her to worry." I paused before continuing, "I'm just worried Eric and I don't know if this is the time to bring this up or not, but Eric someone is trying to kill me. They tried to burn my house down with me in it. I don't think it was FOT's and if it was I don't think they acted alone." I admitted.

"I am already working on that little one. I have some ideas. That is why I want you to stay here with me instead of the shifter's apartment." He growled when he said shifter.

"Eric, his name is Sam. He does not call you Vampire so you can call him Sam. Besides, Sam is not out and he likes his privacy so no more shifter comments." I corrected.

"I love you Sookie." he laughed. "Your loyalty and fire, the way you will never back down, even from me a thousand year old vampire and you have never been afraid to get in my face if you thought you were righting an injustice. How could I not have fallen in love with you? You enchanted me from the first time you stood up to me. Do you remember, Sookie?" he laughed.

I had no idea what he was talking about so I shook my head no.

"When I called you 'sweet' and you told me that 'no, not particularly' and I will never forget that or the look on Compton's face. I knew right then and there I would have you but I had no idea you would change my entire existence." He laughed and held me close. "Sookie we need to get up. I believe Pam is getting impatient. If she probes our bond one more time and I don't answer I think she will storm the room." He laughed again. Eric was in a good mood, Shepherd of Judea save us all.

We were contemplating showers when I heard Pam bellow. "You can shower later. Get your asses up here!"

"She is yelling down the elevator shaft. I should have never taught her that." Eric laughed in amusement.

"I guess we better go." I giggled and Eric smiled.

"I have spoiled her rotten. The way she speaks to her maker and it will only get worse when you two gang up on me." He grinned from ear to ear every time he spoke of getting to turn me.

We walked in the den in matching robes Eric had pulled from his closet. They were monogrammed with our initials. Nice touch Viking, I thought yet again.

"Well, well, well, let's see who decided to come up and check on Pam. Oh Pam's feelings don't matter! Let's leave Pam downstairs alone wondering if we're okay or if we worked everything out, she doesn't matter…." she was muttering to herself before pointing at us and saying, "I **only **drove your crying asses home last night….but do '**WE'** call Pam and tell her we're okay? NO… and why? Because Pam doesn't have a** heart! **She couldn't **possibly** care if…" Pam was really on a tear when I asked Eric,

"Can I tell her?" I said solemnly.

"Yes but you suffer the consequences." he said in a serious tone that grabbed Pam's attention.

"Well Pam, I don't know how to tell you this but Eric and I have decided that it would be in our best interest if we never….." I gave a dramatic pause and held on to Eric's hand, which was behind my back, for dear life!

**A/N: I hope you liked it! What is Sookie about to tell Pam? Will Pam react well? How will Eric keep Sookie safe? Who is trying to kill her? Should I stay on cannon or make up a whole new story line? I am thinking NEW or maybe old with a new angle? HUGS**** PS I own nothing CH owns it all. All I have in my wallet is a coupon to chick-a-filet and a library card.**


	4. Chapter 4 Laying a Foundation

Chapter 4 – Laying a foundation.

**A/N: Thank you to my content Editor kjwrit and my beloved BETA sassyvampmama. Ok so now for a little lighter chapter and some fun. Thank you to you all for the wishes for my grandma, she is a fighter and she is hanging in there and was even moved to a private room so keep up the prayers and good thoughts. **

**As always I own nothing, except for a dog with insomnia. (I used the chick-a-filet coupon.) If you caught, that you were paying attention last time! I loved CH! She rules with hot sauce on top!**

_**LAST TIME:**__ Pam doesn't have a__** heart**__ she couldn't __**possibly**__ care if…" Pam was really on a tear when I asked Eric,_

"_Can I tell her?" I said solemnly._

"_Yes but you suffer the consequences." He said in a serious tone that grabbed Pam's attention._

"_Well Pam, I don't know how to tell you this but Eric and I have decided that it would be in our best interest if we never….." I gave a dramatic pause and held on to Eric's hand, which was behind my back, for dear life!_

**PPOV**

_What the hell? Eric has shut our bond down! I can't feel a damn thing from him. I have only had Sookie's blood the one time so she was too far away to feel any emotions from her. They better get their asses up here and I mean now! So I yelled something to that effect, down the elevator shaft to Eric's resting chamber. I know I shouldn't speak to him that way but I'm so worried. Are they okay? Did they work everything out? Is Sookie okay? Wait, when the hell did that happen? I care about a human. Oh hell, Eric will never let me live this down. How had that GIRL wormed her way into my cold, dead heart? Well, fuck a zombie, maybe my heart didn't die with Keillen after all, _I thought absently.

They finally come traipsing in like there's nothing wrong and I went off on a tangent. I was expecting Eric to shut me down cold, tell me to shut up or say, 'Pamela, that is quite enough!' but he said nothing, neither of them did. Eric was still repressing our child/maker bond and it was annoying me to no end. Then suddenly Sookie spoke to Eric.

"Can I tell her?" she asked him

"Yes but you suffer the consequences." he said in a very serious tone. I was worried. I looked at Sookie and braced myself for the worst. They just had to be together. Eric was so happy when he was with her. Sookie began to speak,

"Well Pam, I don't know how to tell you this but Eric and I have decided that it would be in our best interest if we never…..spend another… night without each other ever again!" The little bitch smiled at me. I felt Eric's amusement as he finally opened our bond. BRATS… effing BRATS!

"You are brats, both of you! I DO NOT know which one of you to beat the hell out of first!" I yelled and then as the relief hit me I flung myself at them and hugged them. (Yes I hugged them, get over it.)

**EPOV**

Sookie is trapped in Pam's embrace, as am I; I begin to laugh. She lets us go, but then I look at Sookie and think, _'wait, wait… just wait for it…she hasn't processed…'_ Then Pam's eyes flew open wide as she looked at Sookie and exclaimed,

"Wait a minute, Sookie did you say NEVER spend another night without each other EVER again? Sookie, are you coming over?" Pam asked hurriedly. Sookie only had time to nod as Pam grabbed her from me and flung her around.

"A sister, I am going to have a sister!" She was the happiest I have seen her in a century. I knew part of it was because I was happy and that carries over to her through our bond but she has warmed to Sookie and she was truly happy she was not going to have to watch Sookie die.

"Pam, slow down and put my soon to be bonded, pledged, wife and child down now please." I said, but that only added to her excitement.

"Bonded? Pledged? WIFE? A wedding, I **am** going to get to plan a wedding. We should do the wedding and the pledging ceremony together, Master it would be so beautiful." As she started to pace I knew we were in trouble as she went into full fledged planning mode. "Oh, and if you turn her that night, oh that would be soooo romantic. I have phone calls to make and I need your laptop" she said as she point to me before turning to my sweet confused lover and asked,

"Sookie, do you have any idea where you might want to register? Oh and we will have to start looking for the dress or should we get two? Aaahhh, we could have Madeline make them; one for the human wedding and one for the pledging. And the shoes, oh what shoes? HMMM…" she was rambling. Then as she walked away she added,

"Oh, and you two need to hurry up and bond. I have a theory you will be able to read each other's minds once you do and I want to see how that plays out." She said as more of an afterthought, than anything else. Neither of us answered her we just stood in awe of her. One second she was there and the next she blurred out of the room.

"Eric, what just happened?" Sookie asked in total confusion.

"That was Pam in planning mode. I have to go cancel her set of credit cards, Sookie. If I don't she'll have us married by the weekend." I laughed.

"Eric, I mean the last comment. What the hell?" she whispered.

"Pam has always been forward thinking. She probably mulled the idea around in her head for a while. It does make sense for her to think you and I will be able to communicate telepathically. She and I can communicate through our bond and since you're already gifted in that area, I can see how she came to the theory. Plus, she's the only one who truly saw how close we were when I was cursed. Now Sookie I was serious, I have to go head her off or we will be in Vegas this weekend. Wait here for me, lover."

I sat Sookie down on the sofa, kissed the top of her head and walked to my office. In true Pam "planning" fashion she had my laptop up and on, the desktop running and was pulling her laptop out to boot it up as well. If I were the best at making a battle plan or leading warriors into a fight, then Pam was the best event planner on the earth. She took every lesson I taught her and applied it to her own little world of clothes, food and venues.

"Pamela, what are you doing? You're scaring Sookie. I only asked her to marry me last night. I haven't even explained bonding or pledging and she is nowhere near ready for me to turn her. I appreciate your enthusiasm and loyalty but you need to slow down. Pamela, put the laptop down, **Pam**, give me the laptop. Do not make me cancel the credit cards again." I smirked at her and she pouted.

"I want to do something nice. What can I do? I feel left out." she frowned and rolled her eyes.

"I need to get her an engagement ring. Could you help me with that? I don't even know where to begin." I smiled.

"Tiffany's, Eric, you always begin at Tiffany's. Give me my laptop back. You are hopeless. You would just give her a sword or a goat wouldn't you?" she said snarkily, as only she can.

"I am lost without you, my darling child." I handed her the laptop back and said one more thing, "I want the engagement and the wedding band engraved. I want it to say, 'My heart's desire' and I want to see your favorites. I get to choose. You DO NOT buy it without me! You are research only, alright?" I smirked.

"Of course, Sheriff, but I get to plan the wedding too then." She smiled that damned 'I'm your little girl and you love me smile' that does me in every single time and I gave in with a nod before asking,

"Pam, where did you come up with your theory about Sookie and me bonding?" I asked gently.

"You and I communicate through our bond, so it is not so farfetched to think that you and Sookie will be able to do the same, even before you turn her since she is gifted in that area." She explained just as I thought she would.

"Very well, we will see. I must go attend to Sookie. She is still weak and very tired. We should make dinner for her. Do you remember how to cook?" I questioned.

"Yes, of course, I remember how and if she is soooo tired, you should stop screwing her six ways 'til Sunday. I'm sure that is **really **helping her rest." She was in rare form tonight.

"You are enjoying this far too much, my child." I grinned at her enjoyment as I turned my back to her and headed to the den to check on Sookie. I thought she might be asleep but she was rummaging around in the DVD wall.

"Eric if this is your DVD collection I can't wait to see your library." she exclaimed while opening sliding door after sliding door of the wall that housed my DVD's.

"I have more room for DVD's now that I have all my music downloaded into my I-pod and if you want the library is through that door there." I smiled at her happiness. It was flowing through the bond. She was thinking how easy this was and how happy she was we were together. I walked to her and drew her into my arms.

"Nope, I just want this, to be in your arms all night!" She smiled the same dopey smile I was smiling back at me. I happily told her,

"You pick out a movie. Pam and I will make you dinner. We will eat and then watch your movie and stay in tonight. How does that sound to you?"

"Pretty perfect, but did you just say **you and Pam** are cooking for me?" She asked like she didn't believe me.

"Yes, I can cook and so can Pam. We took cooking classes in the 70's. It was a great way to pick up **our** dinner." I grinned.

"EWWW, Eric, **so** not called for." She scrunched up her little nose and shivered like the thought of me feeding on someone else made her sick.

"Sorry, lover. That is all in the past now." I smiled at her.

"Damn straight it is. You're on a steady diet of me and True Blood." she grinned as she stomped her little foot. It was the cutest damn thing I have ever seen.

"You - yes, True Blood - no. I hate that crap. If I drink bottled blood, I only drink Royalty Blend." I smiled like a damn fool and I could not stop. I haven't been this happy in 700 years. By the gods, I love this woman.

"So, there are other brands of blood?" she asked with great interest and I knew why. She had visions of Liam, Malcolm and Diane drinking from their pets. She was worried she would hurt someone. She was already deciding to mainstream.

"Yes there are several and I will explain all this as we go, okay. I know why you have a sudden interest in synthetic blood. Sookie, I will teach you how to feed and not kill or even harm." I smiled again and she relaxed in my arms and asked,

"Did you 'read' me or do you just know me that well?" her little head bowed with her eyes looking up at me.

"A little bit of both; I know you well. You value human life. I never did, only yours and perhaps a few others throughout my existence. You will still be you and I will be a good maker Sookie, I promise, but we don't have to worry about that now." I pulled her closer and smiled as I smelled something coming from the kitchen.

"Wow! Something smells great. Pam is making pizza, I think. How is she? Did you talk her down or are we getting married in Vegas on Saturday?" She giggled.

"I was able to make a _compromise_ with her." I wiggled my eyebrows at her.

"What did you do Eric?" She sounded nervous but she smiled.

"Pam will be helping me pick out your engagement ring, our wedding bands and planning the wedding." I smiled again for what felt like the millionth time.

"Oh, no she doesn't! I get to pick out your wedding band and plan the wedding. She can help me. AND I AM PAYING FOR IT!" she stomped her little foot again and I could not help myself this time. I laughed.

"What do you think is so damn funny?" she raised her eyebrow and her voice.

"You really do never back down do you? How will you pay for such things, Lover?" I grinned knowing she already had a plan. I could feel it in my bones.

"I have a $50,000 check in my purse, that is how Viking." She smiled an evil smile and launched herself on me.

She tickled me. No one and I mean no one had ever done that since I was a human child. I laughed just from the playfulness that I felt coming from her and from whatever it was that was now between us. It was not a complete bond but it was close.

"I love you Sookie. You make me so happy. I want to bond with you, tonight." I said before I could even think. I felt a flicker of fear or I guess unknowing is a better way to explain the emotion but then she looked at me and said, "Explain to me what a bond is and then let's do it." she smiled.

"What if you don't like what you hear?" I asked.

"I can tell bonding is important to you and I know it's a form of you committing to me so, I trust you. I'm not running anymore Eric. I am just not going to do it. I trust you and I love you. I want to be yours. It's not just words for me, I mean them. You can take me to Fangtasia, Merlotte's, Wal-Mart and the Dairy Queen and I will tell anyone who will listen that** I am yours**. I'm not saying I'll be some little 'pet'; I'm still going to be my own person. Because it's just who I am and that is the girl you fell in love with, but I now realize in our world it is safer for us, for others to view me as yours, and I think it will make us happier." she explained like she had really put thought into all of this. I think she really did have an epiphany today while I rested.

"Sookie, when we bond I will belong to you. It is the ultimate way for a vampire to commit. It is very unusual for a vampire to bond with a human. It is usually a vampire to vampire commitment. You will be able to sense me and my emotions very clearly. If I feel joy, lust or anger you will feel the same. If I am in pain, you will feel the pain. I would cut off the bond to keep that from happening but that can be painful as well. I will be able to 'call' you like I do Pam. Other vampires will refer to it as "making you heel', to compel you to do what I want but I would NEVER do that to you. If all I wanted was to own you, all I would have to do, is tell other vampires that you are mine and claim you as my pet. So you see our bonding is not about you belonging to me, it is about me belonging to you." I paused for her to acknowledge she understood.

"Will it make you look weak, to bond to me?" she whispered in that sweet little voice that she tends to use when she is worried.

"I do not care what others think my sweetest lover." I purred.

"Eric, you don't have to do this to make me happy. If it makes you look weak or if it could weaken your position as Sheriff, you don't have to do this." she took my face in her hands and kissed my lips so gently as if to show me her love. Wow, _who are you and what did you do with Sookie_? Was the thought running through my mind and then I realized how much love she was sending to me, how much faith she had in me. I tried to explain how I would play this with other vampires to keep us safe.

"Sookie, it is what I want with all my being and it will not weaken my position. It will be looked on as a shrewd business tactic to bond the only telepath in the state to myself. It will be looked on as a service to my Queen." I felt her stiffen as I took her in my arms and said,

"But that is not why I want to bond with you my sweet Sookie. Bonding with you means we are laying a foundation for our eternity. I want to bond with you because you are my entire world, I love you and I need to be a part of you and I need you to be a part of me." I kissed her tenderly and felt her hands go to my hair. She broke the kiss and beamed at me as she whispered,

"Then tell me what to do." She looked like she could very easily have cried, but this time the tears were tears of joy and for the first time in two days I felt Sookie relax and breathe.

"First my sweet lover, we are going to get you fed. Then we will watch a movie with Pam. Tonight we will relax and be happy. Tonight before I put you to bed I will drink from you and you will drink from me and that will be that, as they say." I smiled.

"All we have to do is have a mutual blood exchange and we will be bonded?" She asked.

"Yes that is all. We should do it with a special ceremonial knife and then use that knife in our pledging ceremony. Are you comfortable with that lover?" I asked gently.

"I have to cut you? Do you cut me? I mean, how does it work exactly? I want to enjoy my dinner and the movie, so explain everything so I am not worried. Baby, I just want you to be happy." she blurted quickly and quietly.

"I know Lover, and I only want you to be happy. We don't have to do this tonight; we can wait if you want." I offered but she shook her head no so I continued. "Then let me explain, I will drink from you in the 'regular' way. You or I can make a cut on me, whatever you are comfortable with, and you will drink. The affects should be almost immediate, and Sookie, remember it could intensify what is already happening to us." I spoke in code and as I gave a nod to the kitchen to remind Sookie that Pam was probably listening to every word. And as if on cue, enter Pam.

"Oh for the love of God, here!" she bellowed as she handed Sookie a jeweled case that held the knife I had mention earlier. "Let me break this down for you Stackhouse. He will be all 'Eric like' and drink from you in the most seductive way you can imagine. When you recover from the orgasm, you will take this knife cut him on the chest here" she paused and pointed before continuing, "and drink until the wound closes, easy-peasey." she snarked, turned and walked out of the room before yelling "and the damn pizza is almost ready." She continued to complain as she walked away. "Nooooo Sookie I want what you want….nooooo Eric I want what you want… oh lover…oh baby… this is going to be the final death of me…" she chattered in her snarky little voice that I love.

Like I said, my child was in rare form tonight and did she just say easy-peasey? Hearing Pam use a "Sookieism" as we called them between ourselves made me smile but I held my tongue. Something told me Sookie would not appreciate the term.

Sookie wrapped her arms around me, smiled and asked,

"Are we really that bad?" I looked down and smiled back at her, but before I could answer Pam yelled,

"YES!" from the kitchen.

"Pam, butt out!" I started to add 'As your maker I command you,' but I knew it was all in good humor and she was just acting out of her happiness for Sookie and me. As I pondered all these things, Sookie was rubbing her face against my chest and I began to moan.

"Sookie you need to stop doing that or I will take you here and now." I growled at her.

"I love it when you do that…mmm…when you moan my name. It really turns me on Eric." she smiled up at me and I felt like I was floating on air as she went up on her toes to greet my kiss.

**SPOV**

The kiss Eric was giving me was wonderful. He started undoing the ties on my robe and began to reach inside of it to gently touch me and stoke me when I heard a timer go off in the kitchen. I pulled back and grinned at him because my stomach growled and that pizza really smelled great. Eric gave out another growl of frustration and said,

"Come, let's get you fed, my little vixen." he smiled.

As we entered the kitchen Pam turned around and advised me that she still had to set the table and that we both had time to change clothes. I ran down to Eric's room and put on my track suit and was happy to see Eric in a black track suit that made him look damn sexy. He must have smelled my arousal, because he smirked, that sexy smirk that said, 'Yes, I know how hot I am and how bad you want me.' In the past that would have made me mad but it was true and there was just no way around it. I would always want him. Hell, I had been staked in Jackson and nearly died, and just look at what the man did to me then. I don't know how long we stared at each other but it was Pam who broke me from my thoughts.

"Really you two, come now children, let's eat supper." she grinned a silly smile and sat a beautiful bottle down on the table that I could only guess was 'Royalty Blend' that Eric had told me about in our prior conversation. And then she brought a HUGE pizza to the table. It looked fabulous, golden crust, extra cheese, pepperoni and sausage (and no garlic…surprise, not.) I was impressed.

"Pam you made this?" I asked with some doubt in my voice. It just smelled and looked too good.

"Yes, from scratch. I am very talented in the kitchen. I graduated top of my class." she smiled a evil smile and the comment made Eric chime in,

"Pam that is not exactly a true statement, you glamoured the teacher." he chuckled.

"Eric, what did the diploma say? It said "best in class" and the proof is in the pudding, or so they say." She threw back her head and laughed as she put a piece of pizza on the china she had set the table with, it was a lovely pattern. I laughed at the fact I was eating pizza on fine china with two of the most powerful and deadly vampires I had ever met. My giggling got me a look from Pam and a raised eyebrow from Eric. I quickly recovered and said in my 'crazy' Sookie voice,

"Pam this is the best pizza I have ever had!" I exclaimed. Pam looked pleased with herself and Eric may or may not have mumbled something about me not encouraging her. Soon dinner was over and my tummy was full and I was ready to settle in for our movie night. Pam popped some popcorn and off to the den we all went. Eric pulled a blanket from a closet off the den and tossed it over our legs and I laid my head down on his shoulder. I could not believe how calm I felt. I was going to forever join myself to Eric and his world later on tonight and I felt nothing but joy and calm. Wow, maybe I am finally growing up.

**EPOV**

My beloved was getting sleepy again and we were only 15 minutes into the movie. I watched as she snuggled against me and then reached and took Pam's hand in hers and closed her eyes. Pam looked shocked for a moment but then she looked pleased. Once Sookie was asleep Pam looked over at me and said,

"Make the bonding special for her. Say something nice, romantic, women like that sort of thing. She will remember this night forever, so make it good; make it worthy." She nodded to herself as if she was pleased with her wording and she stroked Sookie's hand. Then suddenly she looked far away and I knew in that moment she had been bonded to Keillen.

"Pam, min sota barn, jar ar sa sa ledsen…." Out of emotion, I reverted back to my old tongue.

"Master, please don't…." she begged with a shaky voice.

I reached my arm across the back of the couch and drew Pam against me and Sookie. That caused Sookie to make one of her cute little sleepy noises and this brought joy to both Pam and me. We looked at each other and smiled. Pam turned and cuddled into Sookie and me. She sighed, a contented sigh, and asked me in a almost sleepy voice,

"Eric, did I say easy-peasey earlier?"

"Yes, yes you did." I stated simply.

"Well fuck a zombie." she snarked.

A few moments later a very content Pam went into downtime leaving me to just sit and hold my entire world in my arms. Yes, this is right, my girls, my sweet, beautiful girls in my arms, this is where they belong. I love them both so much, but in such different ways. I could feel Pam's happiness and I thought to myself, I was not the only one that Sookie's love had saved.

**A/N: translation (per google) Min Sota Barn = My sweet Child & Jar ar sa sa ledsen = I am so, so sorry. So let me know what you think. I am trying really hard to convey my story and the way I see them in my head. I know Eric is a little lovely dovey right now but he is dealing with a 1000 years of pent up emotions and he is working through them. Next chapter on to the lemo… I mean bonding! HUGS**


	5. Chapter 5  Bonding

Chapter 5 – Bonding, unions and ties

**A/N: Special thanks to my BETA Sassyvampmama and my adorable content editor kjwrit. Your girls are so precious to me and the way you comforted me while Nanny was in the hospital will never be forgotten. I love you! **** She is at home now with hospice care. **

**EPOV**

It was not lost on me that Sookie had spent most of the day while I rested soul searching and she had found answers to questions that had long plagued her. And now while she sleeps I'm doing the same, searching for answers to questions I hadn't even realize I had. I had been in pain over losing my human family for centuries, but it took Sookie to make me realize it. Her love was a catalyst of some sort for me. That much I was sure of as I sat there holding her and by default Pam, since at some point they had snuggled in together. They reminded me of a pile of puppies or kittens, take your pick of whichever cute little animals you like. I smiled while looking down at them and I let my mind wander; I thought and searched for, my own truths. If Pam's brutal honesty kept me cold and calculated when I needed to be then Sookie's love gave me access to my emotions and a side of myself I long thought dead and gone.

Pam's caring and love reminded me that I am her maker and must protect her since I brought her into this life; it kept me strong and focused. Sookie's love for me was a physical and emotional love. When I looked at Pam, I now thought, this is my child. When I looked at Sookie all I could think was, she is my Lover. I know it was not always that way. When I first turned Pam we had sex, lots and lots of sex but we never 'made love' and then it very quickly turned into what we have now. Nothing had ever compared to what Sookie and I now share. Others have tried to comfort me and be there for me over the centuries but no one had ever been able to soothe me with a touch like Sookie can. How does she do that?

How is it that her mere touch soothes me? I think there's something more to her. There's this other worldliness about her that I just can't quite put my finger on, but I will soon. I must know the origin of her telepathy and the power that I could feel inside her; it could be instrumental in securing our future and her safety. I had yet to mention it to Sookie. She had absorbed so much already, so how do I broach the subject of '_oh by the way lover, I believe you have a great power inside you that you have not tapped into yet.' _ Yes, that would go over well; not. She would be in another full blown panic attack. She didn't want the power she had now so if I tell her what I think how would she react? No, I must keep this to myself until the moment is right.

As I looked at my beloved, I switched into my sheriff mode; the side of me that would keep us alive. The cruel side I would hide from her when possible. I find myself afraid she will not understand how cruel I will have to be to keep her safe. I will always handle her with a gentle and loving hand, but there will be others who will not fare so well. My ruthlessness and ability to strategize will keep us all from harm. I continued to think about her and her untapped power.

If I was right about all this it would make her an even bigger target for other vampires and supernatural creatures in general. It was beginning to look more and more like I was going to have to seize power, but it may be more than just over throwing Sophie Anne, which to be honest would be easy enough to do. I started thinking about other Kings who were in power and who I had to take out first. At the top of the list is Felipe DeCastro, King of Nevada. He had a huge power base and there were rumblings of him taking over Louisiana already. I had a thought that was why Sophie Anne had planned on marrying that idiot Peter Threadgill. I would kill Peter on the mere point that he was too stupid to be a vampire. His maker should be forced to eat silver for turning him. How he had ever risen to power was beyond me, although I had an idea it was more his bodyguard Jade Flower who was the real force of power behind him. She was infinitely older than him and deadly with a sword, not as deadly as me, but deadly nonetheless.

I mentally named off vampires in my mind that I could call together; Marcus and Laurell stood out as the first I would call. They were who I considered to be true friends and I know they would help me. When I finished compiling my list, I was pleasantly surprised at a number close to fifty, thirty here and another twenty or so worldwide. Those vampires all had vampires under them that could come in handy as well because if I struck I would do it all in one night. One hard hit and by the next night I would have my people in place and the vampires in those states and areas would have the choice to pledge fealty or die. For the first time since I joined the vampire power structure back in the early 1900's I would have to be King and I would willingly do it to keep the two sleeping creatures in my arms safe. Sookie began breathing heavy and tossing her head as if she was having a bad dream so I bent my head to shush her, but Pam acted first before I could.

"Shush, Sookie you're okay. Eric has you in his arms. You are safe now angel. Shush." she whispered before looking up at me in a way I had not seen in a century.

"Eric, how are we going to keep her safe? Others will come for her." she asked very seriously.

"I will have to seize power." I said bluntly and waited for a rebuttal that never came.

"From Sophie Anne?" she asked as if she realized I had more on my mind.

"Among others, I have numerous vampires throughout the states and the rest of the world who I have provided 'services' for over the centuries and they owe me their fealty, some who are Kings and Queens. If I have to seize power it will be more than just a state overthrow; I would have to take out all real threats in one night. You would probably have to leave my side after the battle and take over a state or at the very least to be a sheriff." I said waiting on her to balk. Pam was loyal but lazy and had never showed interest in being in power due to all the responsibilities involved.

"Hmmmm… Queen Pam, well I have to admit that has a nice ring to it." She grinned a toothy grin and smiled down at Sookie before looking back at me and saying,

"Whatever we need to do to protect her that is what we do. I have no idea why I feel so close to her but I do. I do not want her to ever be harmed; she has already been through so much. She is so fragile and yet so strong. We can't let them break her Eric. Others would take her and break her and I will DIE the final death before I let that happen." she said with conviction, passion and deadly intentions in her voice.

"It will not come to that. Pamela, you know that you are….that I…I have never regretted turning you. You have made me proud beyond my wildest imagination. You are brave, loyal, strong and even when you are being a brat, I love you even more. You are MY child and nothing will ever change that; I will protect you forever." I had no idea where that came from but I meant every word. I suddenly knew without a doubt that I would have to seize power and Marcus, Laurell and Pam would back me up. Together we would keep Sookie safe.

Our voices started to wake Sookie, but she cooed and turned from Pam's arms to my chest. She was so adorable snuggling into us and making her cute little sleepy noises. I had no idea why I loved listening to them so but I did. She made another little noise as she rubbed her face against my chest and smiled in her sleep. Pam smiled, as did I, before she said,

"I am going to go since it's nearly midnight and I have to do some work. I will check on everything at Fangtasia and I'll call the shifter and tell him she will not be in for a couple of days." Sookie would be mad if I did that but if Pam did it, it just might work so I nodded in agreement. Before she left, I advised her that I needed her help,

"Someone is trying to kill her, again. I want you to look into Charles Twining. Do a complete background check, make Compton use his computer skills to look into all of Charles' claims. I find his story about the night of Sookie's house fire fishy at best." I explained.

"Of course Master." she smiled, looked down at Sookie, and then back to me as she said, "I am glad you are happy and Eric, you should tell her what you know about Compton. She will view it as a betrayal if you do not." She said the last part in my old language just in case Sookie was awake enough to hear.

I nodded in agreement. It would hurt her to know of Compton's betrayal, but Pam was right; if she found out from anyone else and then found out I had known, she would be devastated. I felt that Compton's love for Sookie was true but how he came into her life and all that lead up to him loving her was a lie and my sweet Lover was going to be hurt by the truth. It killed me to know she would cry tears over that ass again! I remembered how she cried the night he sent Pam and I to 'break up' with her for him. 'Who the hell does that anyway?' Compton was a coward and never deserved her, but I knew he did love her and would go to any lengths to protect her, so he lived, for now.

Pam leaned over and kissed Sookie on the cheek before she left. I stroked her cheek and just watched her sleep. The movie was long over and it was a little after midnight when she began to stir.

"MMMM…Eric?" she reached for me and when she found me right next to her she sighed a satisfied moan, looked up at me and grinned. I watched as her smiling face turned into a look of confusion before she asked,

"Eric, did I sleep through the movie? Where's Pam?" she yawned.

"Yes Lover, you slept all the way through the movie and Pam left only a few minutes ago. How do you feel? I can carry you to bed if you like." I offered.

"I feel great. I feel so rested. Eric I haven't slept like that in…. well… not to creep you out, but since before my parents died. Back when I was little and I….and I was safe." Her hand flew to her mouth and then she looked at me with tears in her eyes and said,

"I. Am. Safe. Oh my God, it's been so long since I felt this way, I guess, I forgot." She wrapped her little arms around my neck, and I was even more resolved to keep her feeling this way. She would be safe. I would let no one take that from her.

"Sookie, I am taking you to bed now." I said meaning only that I wanted her to go back to sleep and get more rest. As much as I wanted to bond with her, I wanted her rested and feeling well when we bonded. I rose off the couch with her in my arms.

"Eric, you're forgetting the bonding knife." she yelped at me.

"We don't have to do that tonight little one, you are so tired….." I started to explain but she cut me off.

"No Eric, I want to bond with you tonight! I need for us to do this. Eric, please?" she whimpered.

"Sookie, what is wrong?" and then I could feel it. It was like before, no words just a knowing feeling. She thought I was changing my mind. The idea of me committing to her was what was finally making her feel safe and the thought of me walking away from her was terrifying her. I thought of chastising her for even thinking I could walk away, but what kept me silent was what she told me last night 'Everyone I've ever loved has abandoned me,' so I held my tongue for a moment while remembering that not so long ago I too had abandoned her. Then I knew what to say. I knew what to do. I carried her to the bedroom all the while whispering 'I love you' until I reached our destination.

"Sookie Stackhouse, love of my existence, light of my world, bond with me. Bond with me now, and be mine forever. I love you. I will protect you and keep you safe. I will honor your love and I will hold it close to my heart as I know you will hold my love to you close to your heart. I will put no other above you or our commitment. I offer myself to you. I am yours. Drink and be mine." I went to cut my chest but she put her hand on mine and she said, "Wait."

She began to undress and pulled me up against her as she pushed down the pants I was wearing. It was an odd moment for her to undress us, but then I suddenly understood why. I could feel her reasoning; _we should be bare before each other._ Once we stood before each other with nothing at all between us she held me close as she whispered,

"Eric Northman, you are the love of my life. I know that as sure as I know my own name. I swear to you here and now I will protect your heart with all that I have and all that I am. I will put no other above you or above the life we are trying to build. I promise to honor you and love only you all the days of my human life, and when you turn me I promise to love you for all eternity. I offer myself to you; I am yours; drink and be mine." Hearing her words mingled with mine made me crazy with want, and if that wasn't enough she added,

"Eric, we need to make love while we drink. I feel like we need to be one while we do this." She ran her fingers through my hair and I looked into her eyes. There was no fear in them, only love and trust.

I laid the knife down on the edge of the bed where I could reach it and then lay my sweet Sookie down on the middle of it. The bed had never seemed so big to me, but it does now every time I lay her little body down on it. She looked into my eyes as she reached down and began to stroke my length. I closed my eyes to enjoy the sensation, but she called to me.

"Eric, watch me, watch me love you." She purred as she kissed down my body and made me shake with desire and want. I wound my hand in her hair and gently guided her as she bobbed up and down on me. She was moaning as she sucked and licked; it was driving me mad. I had never felt anything this good, this sweet, she was thinking with every caress, _"I am doing this because I love you. I love you and I want to please you. I love that I can make you crazy with want for me. I want you to remember this night forever. I love you….I love you… I love you…"_ it went on and on like that. She was a woman on a mission and that mission apparently was to make me explode or lose my mind, whichever came first it would seem.

**SPOV**

Not to sound like Sally Field, but "he loves me, he really loves me!" I was so scared he had changed his mind, but then out of nowhere he said the most wonderful and romantic things to me and the best part was I knew he meant them. He meant every word. Eric Northman loves me and wants to be with me as much as I want to be with him.

I kissed my way down his luscious body. I nuzzled my face against his most private area and licked him there from the base to the tip before taking it all into my mouth. I listened to him moan and felt him writhing under me. He was panting my name, saying it over and over like it was a prayer. I loved that I could make him feel like this. I loved the power it gave me; it made me crazy that I had the ability to drive him wild. Suddenly he came with a shiver.

Eric flipped me over back onto my back. He kissed his way down my body. He looked up at me when he reached my hot wet core.

"So wet for me Lover. Do you need me? What do you want, tell me?" he growled in his sexy voice.

"Eric lick me, kiss me, love me… oh GOD ERRRIICC!" Before I finished my sentence he was working my throbbing nub with his tongue and slipped a finger inside me and began pumping in and out of me.

"Watch me Sookie, watch me get you off." His words were crude, but made me so hot. I watched his tongue lap at me and his fingers pump in to me. I could feel him begin to curl his finger inside me as he began hitting my sweet spot, and when he French kissed the bundle of nerves on the surface I screamed his name as my body shot up off the bed towards him. I shuddered and tried to recover as he removed his hand from inside me and reached up the length of me to my breast and played with my nipple. He looked up the length of my body and whispered,

"Beautiful, Sookie you are so beautiful. Are you ready for me Lover? Do you need me again?" He asked in a teasing voice and I loved it. He gently spread my folds again and kissed those tiny bundles of nerves in such a way it was like he was worshipping me. And just like that I was coming again. He was looking up at me right into my eyes; he never looked away- his ocean blue eyes boring into my very soul. He drove me hard with his tongue and made me scream out, crying his name in ecstasy.

"Yes, oh yeeeessss, Eric!" I yelled as he drove me over the edge. He crawled up the span of my body and looked deep into my eyes as he entered me with one glorious thrust! I was floating on air as he thrust in and out of me. I looked between us and just watched the magic of it, in and out, in and out, in and out, it was so beautiful. When I looked back up he was still 'in my eyes' with that being the only way to describe it. He looked at me with so much love and adoration I felt tears well in my eyes.

"I love you. I will love you forever. You are my forever." He panted and the tears that had been threatening to fall fell, but in joy.

"Oh Eric I love you too baby. You make me happy. Love you so much." I couldn't really make complete sentences but I tried to tell him what I felt and how much he meant to me. I was getting close again; I could feel that coiling in my stomach and I knew I was about to come. My climax hit me and I was floating in an orgasm induced haze when he leaned in and said,

"Are you ready Sookie?" He had the knife in his hand and was ready to cut himself as he looked at me. I think that was his plan to have me relaxed and in a haze for when he pulled out the knife to cut himself. I had been a little nervous about him cutting himself, but in the moment there were no nerves, no doubt, only love and assurance.

"Yes, baby, oh yes." I smiled and kissed the spot on his chest he was about cut. This seemed to please him as he cut his chest he said,

"I bond with you freely and I give myself to you, drink." His voice was deep and full of emotion. I knew what he was saying was important. I knew I needed to remember; I knew that this moment would be the moment I would look back on for the rest of my life and know that it was the split second that would change my life forever. In the past it would have terrified me to commit to Eric or anyone in such a binding way, but I trusted Eric completely. I knew that in time I would look back over time and space and know that this was the split second; this was the time I totally gave my heart to Eric Northman. I knew we were getting married, pledged and I knew that he would one day turn me and I was totally and completely sure of my decisions. So I did what I had to do, what I wanted, what I needed, what he wanted, what he needed.

I attacked the wound on his chest like it was water and I was dying of thirst in the desert. There was something in the words that he spoke just an instant before that spurred me in to action. There was something about him saying the words _'__**freely'**__; I give myself to you freely_ that meant so much to me. It was sweet and sexy all rolled into one. The harder I pulled, the louder he moaned, and he drove into me even harder. When the wound started to close I used my teeth to open it back up and drew out more blood. This earned me the sexiest damn growl you have ever heard and I pulled his head to my neck and said the words I knew he longed to hear,

"Eric, I yield to you. I love you. I bond with you freely and I give myself to you, drink, drink from me baby." I tried to remember exactly what he had said, but the word freely was the word that floated in my head and to be frank, hell I didn't even know if I was speaking English. I was in heaven and did not want to leave. I only knew that he had bitten me and that he was drinking from my neck. I was now licking his wound for the last speck of blood that was still on his chest. I bit at his chest again and he howled.

"Yes Sookie, all of me take all of me, Lover I am yours!" he yelled as he thrust into me again and again. He continued to pound into me as I screamed his name. I could feel him. I could feel his happiness and sheer joy. It filled me with the same emotions and the way he held me as he thrust his final push into my body made me laugh out loud with blissful delight! I was on cloud nine. I saw bright glorious light and felt his body quake as he spoke in that long forgotten language, and then his body went slack against me. He kissed my cheek and smiled against my neck as he healed the wound that had been so lovingly inflicted there just moments before. He looked at me with such passion and love. He smiled and tenderly rolled me to my side to face him as he pulled me into his arms.

"I love you Sookie. I have never been this happy. Thank you. I will remember this night forever." He beamed at me and his smile was the brightest and sweetest I had ever seen.

"I love you Eric." Even though I was still laying down I felt a bit light headed and I think I slap dab passed out for a while. I awoke to his concerned ocean blue eyes and sweet smile.

"Sookie, are you alright? You had so much of my blood you should not have passed out. Perhaps we over did it a bit." he smiled sheepishly at me.

"I feel wonderful. I don't think I passed out. I think I fell asleep after a big bad Viking pillaged me." I giggled before adding, "I want a nice hot bath" as I realized how sore I was feeling.

"Was I too rough? Do you need me to heal you?" I could feel his rising panic.

"No baby, you were perfect. That was perfect. I'll remember this night forever. But maybe you could run me a hot bath and heal me in there if the hot water doesn't fix the sore spots okay?" I soothed and cooed. His goofy grin had returned and I could once again feel his happiness.

"Of course, I will run you a hot bath and I will bathe you my sweet bonded." He grinned from ear to damn ear as he bolted from the bed and told me to stay still for a moment. He returned and carried me to a bathtub that was filling with hot water and wonderful smelling oils.

"Oh Eric, that smells incredible." I sighed as I felt a strange sensation. Thoughts and knowledge began filling my head and suddenly I knew things, things I had not known before. I knew what Eric's childhood home looked like. I knew what Aude, Aunna and his sons looked like. I knew how to use a sword. I felt overwhelmed with knowledge and had no idea how to explain it. I must have looked strange because he asked me how I felt as he submerged me into the tub.

"How do you feel Sookie? Are you alright, Lover?" his voice was full of concern.

"Eric, what did my Gran look like?" I asked innocently as I rubbed my eyes.

"She was your height, long gray hair, but when she was younger it was your shade of blonde. She had easy…gentle….blue eyes…" His speech slowed as he realized he had never met my Gran. She died before he could meet her and while he might have seen a photo, he could not have described her the way he did unless he had met her. He looked at me with wide eyes as I turned in the tub to look at him and said,

"I know how to use a sword. I know without a shadow of a doubt I could kill with one. I know how much blood to take from someone and not kill them. I know how to enter a mind and glamour someone. I know what your wife and children looked like." I think I whispered it because nothing was working like it should. We just sat there wrapped in each other's arms and tried understand what was happening to us.

**A/N: OK my sweet little minions this was a hard one for me so I hope you like it. God willing and the creek don't rise I will see you next Tuesday. Be warned I am about to go off canon a little. If my beloved KJ and SVMama approve it..haha! I own nothing except for a huge Dalmatian with a horrible ear infection (at least we know what was causing the insomnia) and some Joann's coupons. Please review it makes me happy! HUGS**


	6. Chapter 6  I know how to do what?

Chapter 6 – I know how to do what?

**A/N: Ok my beloved little minions, here we go… As always thank you to my incredible Beta Sassyvampmama and my content editor the adorable kjwrit…. I would be lost without you. CH rules and I own nothing. (Some TB themes so I begrudgingly say the following AB owns that)**

**This one is for my first little minion, gnrclln – I love you!**

**EPOV**

I was processing what she was saying to me and what I felt at the same time. I watched as she frowned, grabbed her head and rubbed her eyes. I knew I was overwhelming her somehow and that she was in pain. I don't know how I knew but the 'shields' Sookie is always talking about having and using with her telepathy, well I had them too and I knew how to use them. Just like she has access to the knowledge in my mind it would seem I had access to hers as well. I threw up "my/her" strongest shields into our minds. I wasn't sure how I knew which mind was which because our minds seemed to shift into one another's seamlessly. She drew in a deep breath as she looked relieved and said to me,

"Thanks, one thousand years' worth of knowledge is a lot to deal with in 30 seconds." she smiled.

"How did I know how to use the shields?" I asked still in shock.

"I showed you how. I was already throwing up mine but I knew you had to do the same or it wouldn't work. Your mind isn't a separate mind like someone else just passing me by, or that I am trying to read. We linked our minds together somehow; I don't know how to explain it to you. I can just see it in my head." she murmured quietly.

"I know; I can see it myself. I have this… vision of our minds shifting into each other's. It happened before with memories of your Uncle but now it's so clear and strong. I do understand what you mean by saying it **is** hard to explain." I paused but had a question about our shields. "Once the shields come up they seem easy to maintain. Is it the same for you?"

"Yes, for the most part, I do get tired at the end of the night at Merlotte's or being around a lot of people but I think with your blood and our link it will be easier on me, or I hope it will. Normally if I leave them up this strong for over a two hour period it gives me really bad headaches." she confessed. "Do you think you could leave yours up and let me take mine down?" she asked with great interest.

"How do we take them down?" I asked wanting to figure out how to use our new ability.

"It's easy. The same way you glamour someone, you just empty your head out but instead of trying to influence you just listen but with us it may be easier."

"Do you realize you just explained something that only a vampire can know how to do Sookie?" I don't know why but I smiled at the fact she knew this information.

"Yes." she said sheepishly before she changed the subject with,

"Let's try something okay?" she asked excitedly.

"Alright Lover, what do you have in mind?" I asked, just happy that she was not panicking.

"I want you to just think, 'let Sookie in,' but when you do I want you to think of something specific. This will be like you are just letting me in the one spot. This is not even lowering them partially. This is just letting me into one certain memory for me to key in on or one certain thought, okay?" she requested before continuing, "Are you ready?" she asked with a hint of excitement mixed with some trepidation.

"Yes Lover I am ready." I simply thought about the first night I saw her. A light amongst the darkness, a candle in a coalmine is what Compton had said. She was so beautiful with just a hint of innocence. _'I wanted you so bad that night Sookie. It was a strange feeling, wanting a woman who would not have me. I was not used to that.' _I started at her as she took a deep breath and looked at me and smirked my own damn smirk at me.

"You are such a damn horn dog! You saw me for maybe 10 seconds before you wanted to have sex with me? And talk about conceited, _'a woman who would not have me…I was not used to that.' _Did you really expect me to just throw myself at your feet and are you forgetting I had a boyfriend at the time too?" She giggled and laughed at my expense, but before I could get too mad she had another idea.

"Okay, so now we know I can access a memory you let me see but now I want you to see if you can read me while mine are down just a bit. Then we will work on partial shields and finally I want to see if we can talk to each other telepathically." She actually seemed excited about this development.

I looked at her and was pleasantly surprised at what I found. She too was thinking about the night we met. _'He is the hottest thing I have ever seen. Easy Stackhouse, you have a boyfriend, remember, Bill. But God he is so beautiful, and his eyes, damn they are the color of the ocean. I wish I could see the ocean. Maybe one day, I could afford to take a vacation and go…'_

"Lover, I will take you to see the ocean." I smiled as she looked up into my eyes and cried. I could feel she wasn't sad, not really, but there was a deep emotion running through her. I could not help myself and I read her mind as I had wished I could do so many times before.

'_Of all the things I thought that is what he comments on. I thought that he would tease me or make fun of me that I lusted after him but he picks up on the one thing I want. The one thing that would mean something to me and that is what he comments on, God I love him.'_

For fear of making her cry I said nothing else for several minutes. She kissed me and then eventually she spoke but said nothing about what just happened.

"Eric let's try one more thing. I want you to lower your shields partially. Just open your mind enough so it will allow me to not only hear what you are thinking but see what you see, your memories or your view of what you want me to see. Then I want to try to talk to each other mind to mind." she said nothing else out loud but I could hear her. I was in her mind and she was in my mind. It was like before but stronger, her mind shifted into mine and mine into hers; the feeling was incredible!

**SPOV**

"Lover, I will take you to see the ocean." Such a simple statement, but it meant so much. I had expected him to laugh and tease me. He finally had proof that I had always wanted him, but he didn't. He told me he would give me something I always wanted. I knew if I spoke of it to him now I would not be able to continue. I was so emotionally raw. I wiped the tears from my eyes and as we began to play with our new toy (as I was going to view it), and I knew then that this ability could and would save our lives. I had a way to protect him. I felt more confident than I ever had before in my entire life.

The first thing he showed me was the night he gained his memories back. I thought he had abandoned me, but there he was crouching next to me while I slept on the couch at my home. He was brushing my hair out of my face. He was right when he said my hair was wet from my tears. He had told me he had returned and now I saw I hadn't dreamed it. I saw him come back to me that night. It meant so much to me. He then showed me how safe I made him feel when he had no idea who he was and I was all he had in the world. He showed me how that is how he feels now, that once again I have made him safe and loved.

Then it was my turn; I showed him how safe he made me feel the night of the orgy. He had not known about Uncle Bartlett back then, but he still protected me and kept those horrible people from touching me. He had put his body between me and what I feared most, an unwanted touch. I know he found that surprising. He had saved me from bullets and attacks, but yet that night was the night he truly saved me in my mind. I sent love to him through the bond and he beamed down at me as he did the same.

As we began to speak to each other with no words it started simple enough,

"_Eric, can you hear me?"_ I sent to him.

"_Yes Lover, I can."_ He smiled and thought_ "we will be able to use this, this will come in handy."_

We must have continued this for 20 minutes because the water in the tub had started to cool. Eric pulled me from the tub and suggested we put our separate shields up. We did and we pulled back our minds from each other. He looked at me for a long time before he carried me to the bedroom and laid me down on the bed.

"Sookie put up your shields all the way. I have some thoughts I want to share and I don't want you reading ahead of the class. I want you to trust me and listen to everything before you say anything." He grinned at me while I did as he asked and then he began,

"Lover, I think there is a great power lying dormant in you. I see it when I am in your mind. You are something more than human. There is something more than just your telepathy. Your blood is so sweet, your touch alone can soothe me and you get pulled into danger at the drop of a hat…" he paused before continuing, "Let me ask you something, how did you meet the fairy Claudine?" He shocked the hell out of me with the statement and then wanted to know how I knew Claudine. What the hell is up with that?

"Claudine was a friend of Tara's. We just started hanging out and then she just started showing up to save me and help me. She eventually told me that she was my fairy godmother, but what does that have to do with the power you think you sense in me?" I was totally confused and a little scared.

"Sookie, I believe you are Fae. I think the light I see in you and the power I feel is Fae." He said his words gently as he searched me eyes for a reaction. I don't think it was the one he was expecting. I laughed.

"You think that I am a fairy, like Claudine? How long did you go without human blood before we got back together because I think the lack of it might have cause some brain damage. Are you insane? I am not a fairy! I'm just a waitress from a backwater town that got dragged into a bunch of vampire crap. As far as me tasting sweet maybe that's part of the telepathy. These powers we're sharing are so new you could be sensing something in you and not even know it. I am HUMAN, a plain ole human girl." Even as I was panicking, I knew he could be right.

"Vampire crap…. is that what this is to you?" he looked stone cold at me. He hadn't heard anything else that I had said.

"I wasn't talking about you; I was talking about Bill and all the others that have used me. Bill was the one who was always dragging me into danger and not protecting me. You always get me out of the bad stuff. You always save me. Baby, how could you even ask me that?" I was hurt that after everything we had been through he would doubt me that quickly and based on only one remark, but then I remembered how many times I had run from him on less than what was just done and said. He was afraid I was picking a fight. He thought I would run. I dropped my shields, reached up and drew him to me and let my love for him wash over him.

Just then a bright light came from my hands and it covered him. He gasped, not in pain or fear but in complete and total bliss. I had no idea how I was doing it, but I knew it was healing him. My light, my words and my thoughts soothed his aching heart.

"I AM NOT RUNNING. I love you, only you! I AM NOT RUNNING. We will handle this together. We will figure it out together. Hold me, hold onto me, I love you Eric. I love you." I soothed and cooed to him.

**EPOV**

She is Fae. That is why her touch had always soothed me. She had the ability to make me feel her love for me through her touch. Most Fae can soothe with their touch, but this was something more. The light that came from her hands was brighter than sunlight, but it didn't hurt me. I wondered what else that light could do.

In the last Fae war I saw a Fae princess wield the light like a sword on fire and another could throw fire balls of light. We lost many vampires that night. How do I tell my bonded her people are my mortal enemy? That her family would most likely try kill me on sight. Suddenly a thought hit me and I knew it to be true instantly; _she is one of the Sky Fae_ and if I am not mistaken, she is of the Brigant blood line. If she wasn't, the Prince would have never sent his granddaughter, Claudine to guard Sookie. Damn it! Niall Brigant, of all the damn fairies in the world at least he had been there during the war. We had fought, but he evaded me and that is not an easy thing to do. It does play in my favor that he was also there the night the treaty between my people and his was signed; with no doubt he will remember that I saved his beloved son, Fintan.

I pushed all those thoughts aside and just enjoyed the love and affection she was covering me with, it was incredible! Then she spoke to me,

"I AM NOT RUNNING. I love you, only you! I AM NOT RUNNING. We will handle this together. We will figure it out together. Hold me, hold onto me, I love you Eric. I love you." she cooed to me. She loved me so much; that love was rolling over me in me and through me in waves. If I had needed to breathe I would have been breathless.

I wanted to take her, possess her, but I couldn't do that to her now. I had not healed her from earlier. I knew that she was still sore from the way she winced when I pulled her from the tub. She didn't think I noticed, but I did. I kissed her lightly on her shoulder and she ran her fingers through my hair as she continued to rub her hands over my entire body. I don't believe I have ever experienced sensations like what I was undergoing right now. Her touch made me whole. She was healing every pain, grief, sorrow and anguish I had ever felt. I had endured great torture at the hands of my maker at the outset of our century together, but she swept it away in one touch of her hand. She was speaking a sweet foreign language in a dialect I vaguely recognized as that of the Sky Fae. She was inside my mind and was healing every part of me that had ever been abused and neglected. She leaned back away from me and looked at me very sensitively as she switched to my native tongue and said,

"Jag har sett varje smärta, varje skada och de är läkt. Om du någonsin förlorat och bara vet att jag är med dig och jag älskar dig. Du är alltid säker i mitt hjärta" she smile and shook her head as if to knock the cobwebs away before looking at me totally confused and asking,

"What was I saying?" She appeared unfocused and confused.

"You said, 'I have seen every pain, every hurt and they are healed. If you are ever lost and alone know that I am with you and I love you. You are forever safe in my heart.' And you said it in my native tongue or what it has developed into over the years." I explained.

"I did… what… I spoke a foreign language?" she asked in a surprised voice.

"Yes, you spoke an ancient dialect of Sky Fae and an older version of Swedish. It would seem you know both languages very well." I smiled at her. I was proud of her for accessing her power when she needed it even if it was apparent she didn't have full control of it. We could work on it together. She was silent for a long time before she looked at me and said,

"I know how to do what?" she exclaimed. The panic I had expected earlier had finally set in.

"Sookie, Lover, calm down. What is the last thing you remember?" I inquired.

"I remember realizing that you thought I was picking a fight, so I could run away, which you were soooo wrong about by the by, so I decided I had to make you feel our love and then there was this bright… light….that…came out…of my…hands. Oh my Stars! Shepherd of Judea save me, I'm a damn fairy. Well, hell." she sat up on her knees and then plopped her gorgeous bum down on her feet that were tucked underneath her.

**SPOV**

"Once I was inside your mind, there was so much pain, so many hurts and horrors that I couldn't leave until all of them were healed," she paused. "Oh baby, your maker was horrible. How could you not want him dead and who were the vampires that were so kind to you? You keep them so close to your heart." I watched as he gazed up at me with those damn ocean blue eyes. He looked peaceful as he spoke.

"The other vampires are the ones I consider my family, I will tell you of them soon. Their names are Marcus and Laurell. They protected me when they could, from him. As far as my maker goes, it is an odd relationship we have as a maker and vampire child. I cannot really explain it fully to you. I still do not wish him the final death. I have this loyalty toward him that I know makes no sense to you, but I would protect him from harm to very this day. I have not spoken to him or of him since the night he released me." He looked like he was deep in thought before he continued again, "No that is not true, Pam asked me once after her turning and I told her some of his horrors. She had no idea that all maker/child relationships were not like ours. She thought every maker loved and doted on their children, the way I did her. When she realized that was not the case she was appalled. She cuddled against me that night much like she did tonight. She sees me as strong and invincible; it was hard for her to imagine someone stronger than me, hurting and abusing me." He reached up and pulled me closer to him.

"Hold me Sookie." he said almost inaudibly, and if not for the vampire blood in my body I might not have heard him. He looked odd to me; he looked peaceful and happy but at the same time he looked lost and afraid. I would have done anything in that moment to have read his mind but he was blocking me. I started to comment, but decided against it at the last moment.

"Eric, I will always hold you." I paused for a moment. I suddenly had a realization come to me. I had a brief moment of doubt, but what I was thinking was the truth and I would not lie to him. "Eric, I know you said that you don't wish your maker dead, but I will kill him Eric." I said with no real emotion but I did say it softly. "I'm sorry baby, but if he comes anywhere near you ever again, I WILL KILL HIM." Eric didn't say anything for a few minutes so I asked him,

"Are you angry with me?" I could not get a read on his emotions. He was still shielding his thoughts and the bond. Then suddenly it opened and I felt a strange since of pride from coming from him to me.

"No Lover." He looked at me with reverence and awe. I had never seen him look at me like that before.

"Eric, is there anything else you need? Are there anymore places I need to heal?" I wanted to take care of every pain. I had to be sure he was safe.

"No Lover, my Sookie, my precious dear one, you have saved me. I love you Sookie." He looked at me so intently, so passionately, before saying,

"I need to heal your body. I need to be inside you. I need to have you." he said with such sincerity and passion, but I still couldn't help but feel there were parts of his mind he was shielding. Also it was not lost on me that he had not said 'healed me' he had said 'saved me.' He had such faith in our love. A deep rooted belief that our love could overcome any obstacle or complication and it took me a long time to get to the same spot but I was finally there. I believed.

"Whatever you need baby, if you need my blood, my body or my very soul, they are yours." I gave myself over to him. Hell, he could turn me right now. I trusted him that much. He smiled at me and understood what I was saying.

"Thank you for trusting me, but not tonight. It is too soon my Lover. However, I will gladly take your body and blood." and he grinned that damn smirk before placing his hand on my thigh.

"Sookie spread your legs for me." I gladly obeyed. He pricked the tip of his finger and slipped it gently inside me as he tended to all my sore and uncomfortable spots. He never took his gaze from mine as he was healing me. Soon all the soreness was gone and I had a slow fire building deep in my stomach.

"Show me how bad you want me Sookie, show me now." God I love it when he talks dirty to me. I knew he could hear me think that and all I could do was moan. He licked his lips as he continued to stroke me before starting again,

"That's right Sookie, moan for your Master. Tell me Sookie, tell me right now who THIS belongs to?" he demanded as he simply held my soaking core in the palm of his hand.

"YOU, Eric! Everything is yours, only yours, always yours." I panted

"Yield to me Sookie, tell me what I want, say the words, by the gods I swear I will come at the sound of the words, TELL ME!" he roared in a primeval voice that two nights ago would have frightened me but not tonight. Tonight he was my King, my Master, my whole damn world revolved around this man and what he needed. But then I realized it was what I needed too, to give up control and let him take care of me and my needs.

"Master, I am yours. I yield to you, belong to you. Oh… Master, PLEASE? Oh God Eric! Yes…" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

He growled and his fangs clicked down the split second I said master. He rolled me to my back and thrust into me saying,

"I love you Sookie Stackhouse. You are mine and I am yours. Damn it you are so tight, so wet and hot. Oh god Sookie, Sookie, Sookie….."

If me calling him Master is what turned him on then those words are what did it for me. I came so damn hard I convulsed beneath him. I grabbed him by the back of his head and ordered,

"BITE ME NOW! Right now Eric, do it, I want you to…" I rolled my neck to the side and he roared as he struck my sweet spot between my neck and shoulder. I came again and one moment later he roared as he filled me but he wasn't done with me yet. He flipped me over onto my knees as he thrust into me again and again. I could barely keep up, but I held on for dear life. I was giving out; I needed him to love me. This was wonderful, but it was just too much. I needed him to slow down and just like that he gently removed himself from me. He laid me down gently on to my back then he looked at me softly and said,

"Am I being too rough? Is this better? Is this what you need my sweet Lover?" he requested as he gently slid back inside me and rocked his hips into mine. I could not answer him because I was so completely overwhelmed with emotions so I just nodded. He was whispering "I love you Sookie, I love you."

In that moment I finally understood, this is why they call it making love. Yes, I finally understood. I felt light as if I were floating on air, hell we could have been for all I know. I opened my eyes and saw a man that loved a woman, he wasn't a vampire and I wasn't a fairy we were just two people in love. My hands were glowing again as we reached our ends together and he collapsed against me. He looked in my eyes again and whispered those three little words I would never tire of hearing.

"I love you."

**EPOV**

She was holding me stroking my back. We stayed like that for what felt like an eternity. The way she sent love into me was incredible. It felt so good and I think I might have said something to that affect. She kissed the top of my head and continued to rub my back with her little hands glowing. The sweet light that came from her hands filled the room like candlelight. I was so relaxed, my voice was sleepy almost lazy and I wasn't focused so it didn't occur to me that what I was about to say was going to cause such a ruckus, but it did.

"You know Lover, when you have full control of your powers, you will know how to throw that light and use it as a weapon. They look like balls of lightening when thrown and the light can be wielded like a sword on fire; they are hard to defend against, it will be a good power for you to have." She stopped rubbing my back and went still. I had a split second to realize something was wrong and she threw up her shields as I turned to look at her.

"Eric, how do you know what they look like? Have you fought against the Fae before?" she looked perplexed.

"Sookie the Fae and Vampires have a long history….."

"OUT with it Northman, are we supposed to be enemies?" she demanded.

"Yes."

**A/N: oh my, did I do that? Why yes I did…. I am sorry my beloveds but I am using my power for evil tonight. I have been devilish all day. Remember once again AB and CH own everything. ALL I have is tore up bathroom and a very, stressed out dog! I don't even own the Joann's coupons anymore…the expired before I could use them now that is sad. Please review; it makes me clap and giggle like a little girl at the circus. (Except I am afraid of clowns, so not me but a normal little girl who went to the circus.)**

**Second note: Listen guys, my grandmother is passing away and I have to travel to get to her. I maybe slow on my responses and posting Chapter 7. It is done and will be with my content editor within the hour, please review and keep me in your thoughts. She raised me and this is the hardest thing I have ever had to do.**


	7. Chapter 7 Truths & Lies you've told me

Chapter 7 – Truths and lies you've told me

A/N: alright my beloveds, I know I left you hanging but come on don't you know me well enough by now to know I won't angst you around for long! HUGS

Thank you again to my BETA extraordinaire sassyvampmama and my sweet little content editor the sweetie pie KJWRIT. If you are not reading their stuff you are missing out! **I am sad to say that my Nanny passed away 9-30-10 so that is why this is a little late. I miss her so much but she is in a better place and no longer in pain. The funeral was today 10/02 and it was rough on me. Thank you for all the love you have sent my way! I love you my little Minions.**

The italics with _'around'_ them like this are Eric and Sookie talking mind to mind. Once the Story that Eric is telling her starts I will keep that in italics as well but I make note of when he is talking to Sookie and when he is thinking the story to her. I think it is pretty clear. OK here we go, keep your arms inside the ride.

LAST TIME: **"You know Lover, when you have full control of your power, you will know how to throw that light and use it as a weapon. They look like balls of lighting when thrown and they are hard to defend against, it will be a good power to have." she stopped rubbing my back and went still. I had a split second to realize something was wrong as she threw up her shields as I turned to look at her.**

"**Eric, how do you know what they look like? Have you fought against the Fae before?" she looked perplexed. I could see the fear and confusion in her eyes.**

"**Sookie the Fae and Vampires have a long history….."**

"**OUT with it Northman, are we supposed to be enemies?" she demanded.**

"**Yes." **

**SPOV**

"We're enemies?" I thought I would be sick. I could feel my stomach churn. I repeated the question for that very reason I thought maybe I had misunderstood him.

"If I am right, and you are indeed a Sky Fae, then your people and mine have definitely been at odds in the past. The Water Fae fought against us as well but they were not as fierce of fighters as the Sky Fae. Sookie, you and I will never be enemies, but if you are indeed Fae, it may not bode well for us that we have bonded. It will be hard for them to accept another coupling of Fae and Vampire." he said very seriously all the while stroking my hair.

"So if they come for me, they would ask me to what, leave you? Would they try to kill you or would the treaty protect you?" My voice shook with emotion and fear.

"Me taking you as my bonded could possibly be considered an act of war, an affront to the Fae nation." he said gently as he stroked my hair. He was trying to send calm and comfort, but I was not having any part of it! How dare they, whoever these people are, try to hurt my beloved over something we both wanted so desperately? Our Bonding had made us so happy and the thought of anyone trying to take him or hurt him, well excuse my French, but it pissed me off!

"HOW can they do that? I entered into it willingly! I love you!" I proclaimed, demanding an answer from him.

"Firstly, a Fae of royal blood would never have been freely given to a vampire. Secondly, I bonded to you without the permission of your elder, which we could get around since you have not been contacted by him. Lastly, according to the treaty, no vampire is allowed to mate with a fertile Fae female, unless she has already produced one offspring for her clan. All three of those declarations are in the treaty. There will be a price for our bonding, there is always a price." he said brusquely.

"What the hell? What do you mean fertile female? Who the hell are these people? I am my own person! I decide and I don't even know that side of my family, if they truly are my family!" I yelled.

"They will not care. Many of the Fae did not want the treaty and they have been looking for a way to go back to war for centuries. The only reason the treaty was signed that night was due to the fact that I had something that their leader desperately wanted. Many of the other Fae believe the world must be purged of all vampires to cleanse it. One thing we have working in our favor is that I think your bloodline is of Niall Brigant and he owes me." he said cryptically.

"What does he owe you?" I asked hesitantly.

"His son's life." he said bluntly.

"Eric, I think you need to start at the beginning of the story and tell me everything." I requested and just then it hit me- he didn't just say a Fae would never have been given to a vampire. He said that _Fae royalty_ would never have been given. What the hell?

**EPOV **

My sweet Sookie was incensed that anyone would dare question our love and to be honest that gave me great pleasure. I knew that if push came to shove she would push and she would push hard. She was dropping her shields as told me,

"Eric, just remember in your mind; remember the war, see it in your head, and show me." Her voice was so soothing and so sweet. I closed my eyes and thought back over time and space.

'_Many centuries ago, after I was released by my maker, I wandered the earth alone. He always kept a large nest so now that I was free of him I enjoyed my solitude. I was lonely, that much is true, but I had much to overcome. I had no real manner in which to make my way in the world but I was a skilled warrior. I used that to my advantage. I was different than I am now; I was much more violent, my time with Ocella had turned me into a seasoned killer. I was regularly called upon when a vampire went rogue or if there was a dispute between the Were's in an area, and I would "settle" the situation.'_

_There was a war waging in Eastern Europe between a group of vampires I had come in contact with before, with Ocella, and the Sky Fae. I had worked for many of the vampires in that group; two of them were the only real friends I had as a vampire. Those two were Marcus and Laurell; they basically saved me from my maker and I had __**feelings**__ for them. I did not want harm to befall them.' _

I was letting Sookie hear and see most everything that I remembered, but there were things I had done that I was not proud of, so I blocked the more violent and disgraceful recollections from her.

'_I was contacted by Marcus. I had much respect for him and he asked me to come because he feared for his bonded, Laurell. I always liked him and Laurell, she was kind to me when I was a newborn and I was not used to that, so I decided to join their cause. I felt that I owed them my loyalty because she used to keep my maker from abusing me, and I viewed it as a debt of sorts. The night that I arrived there was a great battle raging; I flew to Marcus' side and began defending the position beside him and in front of his bonded, Laurell. Soon I had the advantage and we were fighting the Fae off and they disengaged. Once we were able to clear the area and get to a secure location, Marcus and Laurell began to explain what had started the war.'_

I paused for a brief moment to clear my head of the scents and sounds of that night. The blood, the fairy blood, the rush of war; I was dangerously close to bloodlust and I could not afford that with Sookie in my arms. She understood and soothed me with her touch. Her touch quickly settled me down and I was able to continue my story.

'_Marcus explained that a vampire named Alexander had taken a fairy named Lillianna as his mate. She was a princess and granddaughter to Niall Brigant. He did originally take her against her will from the waterfall that he found her at, but he was not able to harm her because she would protect herself with her light. In the beginning they talked of their lives. It started as a seduction, she was trying to get away and he simply wanted to have a beautiful fairy, but somewhere along the way they fell hopelessly in love with each other. They secretly started seeing each other and then one night she simply did not go back through the portal. The next night Royal Guards were sent to retrieve her. She told her beloved to hide and that she would return to him when she could. He told her he loved her, she told him the same, they kissed goodbye and he reluctantly let her go. She knew that she had to go back to her realm or he would be hunted and killed. _

_He was miserable without her and then she came back to him two nights later. She told him she could not live without him and that she had confessed to her family that she loved him and had to be with him, but they would not accept the truth. Her father Dermott, Niall's son, said that Alexander had glamoured her and that she would never have gone with him willingly. Therefore, the Sky Fae nation declared war against the vampires who vowed to protect him. Lillianna was taken back in one of the first attacks and Alexander was inconsolable to the point that he had to be restrained from meeting the sun. The nest was close, different from any group of vampires you have meet, they were more like a family. You have to understand that Marcus and Laurell put family, love, and honor above all and the fact that Alexander had been slighted could not be allowed to stand. The altercation soon escalated to an all out war between all vampires and the Fae. Every vampire in the area came to Alexander's aid, some to help retrieve his beloved, while others just wanted to catch a fairy. Soon, every Sky Fae and even some Water Fae joined war against the vampires.'_

Sookie looked at me and I could feel her turmoil and fear through our bond. I could _'hear'_ that she was wondering if they would come for her the same way. Who would take her? I stopped the story for a brief moment and smiled at her.

"Lover, no one will take you from me. I am not Alexander. I am a warrior; he was not and we have some options he did not. I will not lose you. You are safe little one." I smiled and held her close and just let my mind rest for a few moments.

"Eric, it's so sad. What happened, did they see each other again?" She looked at me so lost and afraid. I had never been happier to know the end of a story and to know that it ended happily, though only after much pain.

"She was kept from him for a time, but eventually, yes they saw each other again. They are still together and very much in love, but the price she paid was great. She lost her father over it. He would not honor the treaty and finally Niall was forced to banish him. The whole ordeal drove Dermott to madness. He was blinded by hate and could not see their love or how happy she truly was with Alexander. Are you ready for the rest of the story?" I paused waiting to see if she was ready.

"Yes, now that I know you're not going to tell me she died or he met the sun, I think I can hear the rest of it now." She grinned and laid her head back against my chest, so I began my story again.

'_After many nights of war, I was given the task of abducting a fairy for information. We were trying to find the location of the portal so we could attempt to rescue Lillianna. I had looked for many nights but fairies are evasive and hard to catch. Then one night I was out by the lake and I saw him. He walked straight to me and said,_

"_I am Fintan, twin brother of Dermott; he is the father of Lillianna. I fear she will die without her vampire. She is mourning him like he is dead and I believe she wishes for her own demise. I have watched you fight; I believe you to be an honorable man. I need your help." He seemed so certain that I would help him._

"_I am not a man; I am a vampire and you are a very foolish fairy. I have been tasked with taking one of your kind to find the portal, and you have made it oh so easy for me." I smiled at him showing him that my fangs had run down.' _

I was ready to continue with my story but Sookie was gasping. I sat up with her in my arms.

"What is it Sookie?" I asked panicking as she cried.

"I _am_ Sky Fae. He looked just like my dad, Fintan, he looked just like my daddy." she sobbed.

"Eric, did you kill him? Please tell me you didn't." she begged.

"I did not dear one. Let me tell you the rest. Close your eyes and listen." I stroked her hair and rocked her gently.

'_Fintan looked at me very carefully and he smiled at my threat. I thought that was odd but he had my attention._

"_Viking, you will help me by fulfilling your task. We will help Alexander and Lillianna by paving the way to get her though the portal and back to her vampires arms. Have you not ever loved before Viking?"_

_His question took me off guard. I had loved Aude and my children, but had not thought about them in centuries. I cared deeply for Marcus and Laurell, but I was unsure of myself and he saw that in my eyes._

"_Oh Viking, could you be the one she saw? MMMM, we must let Lillianna meet you. You could be the one." he smiled at me._

"_What do you need from me?" I asked with some hesitation._

"_You will do exactly as your masters asked; you will abduct me. You will then contact my father Niall Brigant as he is high Lord over all Fae. He has the authority to end this foolishness and give our two love birds back to each other. I am sure there will be stipulations, but I believe we can fix this." He had no fear of me, none and it intrigued me. My existence had become boring so I agreed mainly out of intrigue.__**'**_

I was tired. Sookie soon realized I was. It took so much strength and power to communicate the way we had been doing. She looked at me and said,

"Just tell me the rest baby; you don't have to show me. I know how tired it can make you." She smiled that sweet little smile that let me know she loved me.

"Alright lover, there is not much more to tell. I took Fintan to Marcus, but informed Marcus that Fintan was under my protection and told him of our plan. After all, we did not want to take over the Fae nation. We only wanted what was due our nest mate, his lover Lillianna. Marcus contacted Niall and the treaty was drafted and signed. I told Niall that I would protect Finton if he would sign a treaty and return Lillianna to Alexander." I paused, waiting for her response. She looked at me with a questioning expression and then said,

"So Alexander and Lillianna got back together that night? She was released to him then?" she asked with hope in her eyes.

"No dear one. She was allowed to see him for a brief moment then it was a year before she saw him again. It was part of the treaty. She had to bear a Fae child to the clan and then if she still wanted to return she could." I knew this was not going to be good but I had to be honest and tell her everything.

"That's horrible. If she was forced to be with someone to just get pregnant that's basically rape." She was crying and shaking with emotion.

"She said it wasn't too bad. She was able to choose and he was a childhood friend that she loved and she knew he would be a good father to the child. He was a kind faery named Preston and he had the ability to take on the form of others so he took on Alexander's form for her on that night. She said that he loved a faery name Bree who could not have children. She knew the child would be loved and they have never kept the child from her. She was a part of his life. He even calls Alexander papa, which is funny considering he is around 400 years old now." I explained.

"Oh well, I don't know what to say to all that." She took a moment to think, and then she hesitantly asked, "Eric, can I ask you something?"

"Of course dearest one," I said with softness in my voice that I did not know I had before this very moment.

"Were you there when Lillianna and Alexander were finally reunited?" she queried.

"Yes, it was beautiful. He and I had become friends. He spent many of his nights at the waterfall where they had first meet. He would just sit and stare at the water some nights. I tried to be there for him the way Laurell and Marcus had been there for me. He was one of the few real friends I had as a vampire. We were there one night and there was a loud 'pop' and she just appeared. The look they had on their faces I didn't know what it meant until I met you. In that moment they were complete, whole, healed from all of the pain and all it took was one embrace." She smiled as I spoke and hugged her little body around mine.

"Just a few more questions Eric. The faery that looked like my dad, Fintan, he wanted you to meet her, Lillianna? He said something about you being the one. What did she tell you?" I paused at her question because at the time it was foretold it made no sense to me, but now it made me think otherwise.

"She looked at me and said, 'On an ordinary night she will walk into your lair, she will be able to withstand your stare. She will be the day to your night; you will be her savior and she your light. She will draw you out from the depths of hell and your love together will break the witch's spell. Your love will save her and hers in kind and your love will be known and span the sands of time. Your power will be great, but hers will surpass your might and never will she have to walk only the night.' Then she just sort of slumped into Alexander's arms and seemed confused as to what happened. I never knew what any of it meant, but Sookie, I think it is about you. I think we were always meant to be." I had not wanted to admit that but I had to be honest. I had to tell her the truth.

"I love you. I think we were meant to be too. It feels like we were and always will be. Eric, the Faery who looked like my dad, Fintan what happened to him?" she asked hesitantly.

"I do not know Sookie, but if you want to find him, we will find him. If the Fae are your family and you want them to be part of your life then they will be." I smiled and hugged her again for the hundredth time tonight. She was tired, but I could tell she had more on her mind.

"Eric, thank you so much for being honest with me. Thank you for telling me everything. I love you so much baby." She cooed as she reached up and stroked my hair. It was then that I remembered what Pam had said about Compton.

"Well, while we are being honest, I must tell you something else. Something I was made aware of last week. It will not be easy for you to hear. It's about Bill and why he came to BonTemp." I paused as the tears sprang to her eyes.

"He never loved me did he?" she cried softly.

**SPOV**

"Sookie, I honestly believe that he does love you, which is hard for me to say and admit to, but he came to you under false pretenses. He was sent by the Queen of Louisiana to 'procure' you for her court. Your cousin Hadley is her consort and she told the Queen about you. She wants a telepath on her payroll and she sent Bill to woo you to her." He said it softly and slowly, but it didn't stop the pain. I had given Bill everything. He was my first everything, my first boyfriend, my first love, my first lover and it was all a lie.

"Sookie, please say something," he prodded me.

"It was a lie….it was all a lie…gave him everything and it was a lie…" It was all I could get out at first, but then I asked,

"How did you find out?" I saw his eyes flash and I knew it was not going to be easy to hear.

"Sophie Ann contacted me last week and said that since Compton had failed to acquire you and since it seemed you had obviously switched your affections to me, that I was to acquire you by any means necessary and present you to court as soon as possible." He was stroking my hair and sending me so much love.

"Do you have to give me to her? Will I still be able to see you? Will you have to leave me there alone?" It all just came out of my mouth. Every fear, every doubt, I knew that he loved me, but there was so much I didn't know about their culture and power structure that I doubted him, God help me I doubted him and I know that he felt it.

"Sookie, how can you ask…" his voice ran off as he quit talking to me and talked to himself, "Mmmm, it is because everyone else has, you are always left alone and abandoned. Just a short time ago even I abandoned you. This is why you react this way." Then he took my face in his hands and smiled at me.

"Beloved, no one will take you from me. You are priceless to me so I will always protect you and love you for all eternity. I will NEVER ABANDON you! I will NEVER LEAVE you. It does not matter what my Queen has ordered because no matter the order I will ALWAYS choose you and if I have to kill my Queen and seize the throne to keep you safe then I WILL DO IT! Never doubt my love my sweet, precious girl for my love will be loyal to only you."These were the sweetest words I had ever heard. _'I will NEVER LEAVE you and I will ALWAYS choose you'_ no one had ever chosen me. When the chips were down, with the exception of one person, I was always put to the side. Gran was the only one to ever choose me, to put me first.

"Eric, I won't run. I promise." I said as we cuddled into the bed together and he responded with,

"And I won't leave. I promise." He smiled, as he continued to stroke my hair. I knew in my heart that would become our promise. Words we would repeat again and again as if a covenant had been cut between us. _'I won't run, I won't leave.'_ That was the basis of our bond and the thread that would bind our bond together forever. Those words would be bound around our love and that promise would stand the test of time.

I had almost dozed off when I thought of something else. "Eric, I think I am going to call Claudine and talk to her. If I am her family I want to know. She might be able to answer my questions and since she's already in my life it's not like we're letting the cat out of that bag to Niall that I exist so I think I'm going to get dressed and call her on my cell." I waited on a rebuttal but none came. He nodded and said,

"Yes, I am sure Niall is behind Claudine watching over you. She might be able to answer a few questions for us and since it seems her loyalty lies with you, there might be a chance she would speak for us. Really Lover, we may be worrying for nothing. I just wanted you to be prepared in case there is an adverse reaction to our joining. " he explained.

"Eric, no one is ever going to take me from you." I said trying to convince myself as well as him.

"Believe me Lover, I know." he said in a voice that actually frightened me a little. It was deep and dark.

I got up and dressed, Eric eyeing me the whole time with that damn smirk. He knows just what to do to turn me on and make me want him. "Later Viking!" I chastised.

"Oh yes Lover."

By the time I got down stairs it was around 3am. I felt bad for calling Claudine this late but I had to talk to her now because in my mind this was definitely an emergency. As I pulled my cell phone out of my bag I realized I had no charge so I called out to Eric.

"Baby, can I use your cell? Mine is dead."

"Of course it is on the counter." he offered.

I dialed the phone and hoped that Claudine would forgive me for calling her this late. The phone only rang twice before it was picked up.

"What VIKING? I swear if you have got her injured or killed I will rip them off!" Her voice was sleepy, but annoyed and frantic all rolled into one.

"Claudine, it's me Sookie, I'm just using Eric's cell. I need to talk to you. I'm sorry it is so late." I just babbled.

"Sookie? Where are you? What's going on? Are you safe?" she asked with concern in her voice.

"I'm at Eric's house. Claudine, I really need to see you. I have to talk to you in person, please." I said with a sudden panic.

"Sookie put the Viking on the phone, now please." She requested and I just handed the phone over with a look to him that begged him to be nice. He listened for a moment before answering,

"Yes, I grant you safe passage." was all he said.

Before I could ask any questions I heard a loud pop outside and Eric was walking to his front door. I watched him open the door and Claudine walked in looking from Eric and then to me before gasping and saying,

"Oh no Sookie, what have you done?"

**A/N: OH no…. bonding and lies and plots oh my… what will Claudine tell them? Will Sookie get any sleep tonight? Will she need some Viking comfort after talking to her cousin? DUM DUM DUM… Please review and give me your thoughts.**


	8. Chapter 8  But he's dead

Chapter 8 – But he's dead.

A/N: I use my favorite quote from author, Shewalksinbeauty and her wonderful story "It's about time." I tried to contact her but she has no email or send message on her FF site. So I hope she doesn't mind and sees it as the total FANGIRL shout out it is meant to be. LEMON's are a coming so beware. Thank you again to all the support during the loss of my grandmother.

As always I love my girls, sassyvampmama and kjwrit they rock. I own nothing the wonderful CH does.

**Last time:** _I dialed the phone and hoped that Claudine would forgive me for calling her this late. The phone only rang twice before it was picked up._

"_What VIKING? I swear if you have got her killed I will rip them off!" The voice was sleepy but annoyed and frantic all rolled into one._

"_Claudine, it's me Sookie, I am just using Eric's cell. I need to talk to you. I am sorry it is so late." I just babbled._

"_Sookie? Where are you? Are you okay? What is going on?" she asked with concern in her voice._

"_I am at Eric's house. Claudine I really need to see you. I have to talk to you." I said with a sudden panic._

"_Sookie put the Viking on the phone, now please." She requested and I just handed the phone over with a look to him that begged him to be nice. He listened for a moment before answering,_

"_Yes I grant you safe passage." was all he said._

_Before I could ask any questions I heard a loud pop outside and Eric was walking to his front door. I watched him open the door and Claudine walked in looking from Eric and then to me before gasping and saying,_

"_Oh no Sookie, what have you done?" _

**SPOV**

Claudine looked like someone had hit her. "Oh no Sookie, what have you done? You have bonded yourself to him?" and then she sort of just started talking to herself, _"Oh sweet Lord, the Prince is going to blow a gasket. This is so my fault, I saw they way you were looking at him last month. I should have popped you the Fae realm then. _Sookie you do realize HE IS DEAD… oh no this is a catastrophe" Then she turned her attention to Eric.

"And you," she pointed her finger and repeated, "and you….Viking you know better! Even if you didn't know for sure she was Fae you should not be marking her in this way. You know that it will endanger her for the rest of her life." she yelled.

I was more than annoyed, nobody except Pam could yell at me or Eric like that, so I voiced my irritation to her by telling her,

"Claudine, STOP IT! I love him and I have no idea what you are talking about, so do you want to explain it to me? What am I? Who am I to you?" I paused for a moment when I saw the love in she held in her eyes for me. It startled me so I softened my tone. "Please, Claudine tell me how to handle all this. He is my whole world and I love him. I won't live without him so tell what I needed to do." I pleaded. She seemed to just know my greatest fear already. I was scared of being taken away from Eric and that is how she started the most incredible story; one that I almost could not believe was true.

"You are the great granddaughter of Niall Brigant, my grandfather, the High Prince of all sky Fae. You are not only a fairy, but a fairy princess. He loves you though he has only seen you from afar. He won't take you from Eric. You are his last link to Fintan and he wants you to be happy. The man you believed to be your grandfather was not your biological grandfather. Your grandmothers' husband was not able to father children, and it was your grandmother's greatest desire to have a family. One day, when she was out in her back yard, she said a prayer to God Requesting a miracle. Fintan always said that she thought he was an angel, an answer to a prayer. You see, there is a portal entrance to the Fae realm very close to your home and well, Fintan heard her and the rest is history, as they say. Your biological grandfather, Fintan was my father's older half brother, they have different mothers. So you are my cousin." She smiled and paused for a moment,

"Fintan passed away a few years ago, right before your Gran did. He protected you both the best he could without contacting any of you. He covered your family with a magic that hid you from us and most other supernatural creatures as well, and it worked for the most part. When he died that magic did with him and that is why you have just recently been inducted into the world of the supernatural. He loved all of you so much sweetheart." Hearing her words made me tear up and the way she spoke softly but with emotions I could not explain. She drew in a deep breath before continuing,

"You have the essential spark Sookie. That means that the magic that lies dormant inside you has the potential to make you more than the 1/8 Fae that you are biologically. In all actuality you will end up being more like me, a full-fledged fairy princess." She then turned her attention back to Eric again.

"He will demand your pledge to protect her above yourself and you know he will keep you to it. He still mourns Lillianna and he blames you, in part, for her mating herself to a vampire." she snapped.

"I already have pledge my life for hers, and I fully intend on seizing power to keep her safe…." I interrupted his rant with one of my own. I was mad at a man I had never even met as I demanded,

"How can **HE** blame Eric for what Lillianna and Alexander did? They fell in love and a whole damn war happened before he even got to Eastern Europe, so tell me how in the hell can that be his fault?"

Claudine looked at Eric with an evil smile and said "Well Viking, could it be, you told her everything?"

"I told her what was important and what involved her." he said very cryptically.

"Oh I see. Then she really has no idea of What. You. Are. Why don't you tell her what you are Viking? Did you tell her what you did for the vampires that hired you? What you did for the vampire Queens who hired you? Tell her what you did for money." She glared at him in a way I have never seen her do. It was unlike her. She was being cruel. I felt a heat in my hands as he answered her.

"I did whatever they asked me to do." he said with shame in his eyes and that hurt me. What he was and what he had done was of his makers doing. He was lost and adrift for decades after he was made. His maker gave him no real direction or care. I knew more than Eric realized. I knew that Marcus and Laurell meant more to him than his maker, due to how they burdened themselves with basically rescuing him from his maker. I knew he tried to shield me from the violence, but it was there none-the-less. No matter the amount of shielding he did, I saw. He was a hired gun for some and a killer for others; but the part that was bothering him now was that he was nothing more than sport for several Queens. He had not realized, when he went to their beds, but he was longing for love and affection even then. No wonder he had refused Hallow, it struck too close to home. Hallow's indecent proposal had reminded him of his past. I knew his deepest secrets and by God I would not let Claudine or anyone else ever use it against him or hurt him with it again.

"Claudine, I know what he was, but I don't give a damn about that and I will tell you why, it is because I know who he is NOW! He is my savior, the darkness to my light he balances me and loves me like no other. It is this MAN who protects me and saves me from the bullets and the savages of this world, SO you will respect him in his home and you will NEVER speak to him that way again. He is my bonded, my lover and my entire world. I do love you but make NO mistake, I love him MORE! IF you or ANYONE ever rises up against him, I WILL END THEM!" My voice had changed it was deep with anger and I could feel myself shake with rage and a bright light shot from my hand and gave Claudine a little zap. Eric looked at me with such love and affection. I held my arms out to him and he hugged me back as I whispered,

"I will not run and I will always choose you baby, always." I cooed as he smiled and kissed the top of my head. I looked to check on Claudine I saw that I had actually knocked her off her feet. I felt a little stab of guilt for zapping her, but not much of one.

Once she got back on her feet she clapped her hands and giggled! "Damn, I can't believe that actually worked! Oh Sookie this is wonderful! I knew if I could make you mad enough you could do it! YEA! Did you see it; did you see the light Viking? " She asked, not knowing he had seen at it all night. "Sorry about the crack about your past, I had to get her mad at me to see if it would work." she added.

"It is entirely alright and yes actually, fairy I have seen the light all night but from an entirely different perspective. She quite literally loved the pain out of me." He smirked, that damn smirk at her and then me. Claudine gave him a curious look before her eyes went wide and she said,

"Ooooooo…you bad little fairy…" there was more giggling as she teased me before, she happily continued, "Sookie, you're a healer. Oh, Sookie there hasn't been a healer in the family in centuries not since Lillianna and Einin." she smiled a gentle smile and clapped her hands as she walked passed us and sat down at the kitchen table.

"In my mind Claudine, Lillianna is still part of the family! Just because the men in our family went all 'alpha dog' over who she fell in love with, I am not going to consider her not to be part of my family simply because of who she loves. That is just wrong!" and I stomped my foot as I finished my heated statement.

**EPOV**

'_There she goes'_ I thought as she stomped her little foot and it made me smile. She had found an injustice and decided she had to right it. She hadn't been a part of the Brigant family for five minutes and she was already planning on mending centuries of hurts and pains. _'She amazes me' _was the thought that once again ran through my mind.

"Lover, why don't we cross that bridge, right after we burn down all the others, we have to cross." I smiled my sexy grin to distract her from starting a war before she even met any other family members.

"I know what you're doing and you can quit smirking at me, it's not going to work. I mean it Eric quit it, now." I kept grinning and she broke. She smiled and hugged me and as she stared up into my eyes she asked,

"How do you always know what to do and say to make me feel better?" I thought of making a flippant remark but decided against it and went with the truth instead.

"It is because I love you my dearest one." I leaned in and kissed her gently. This earned us an,

"Awwww" from Claudine but as the kiss deepened she said,

"Okay that's enough, you two need to get a room."

"We have one fairy, but unfortunately since you're here I can't just sweep her up and take her to it. She would be cross with me if I took her to our room to make love to her and left you standing here in the kitchen." I smirked again. I was on a roll tonight.

"Eric, that's enough, you are being so bad." But she smiled when she said it. I knew she had enjoyed the comment and that I would have her again before sunrise. I could smell her arousal, and instantly I was more than ready for the fairy to leave. I watched Sookie turn to speak with Claudine again.

"Claudine, do you think you could set up a time for me and Eric to meet Niall? It could be something casual, like dinner somewhere a few nights from now? Do you think he would do that?" she asked softly like she was afraid she would say no.

"Seriously Sookie, you could call him right now and he would come; he loves you so much. I know that is hard for you to believe because so few people have loved you sweetie, but he does. He will be happy that you are happy. I'm sure he will have a few choice words for your Viking, but in the end he will just be happy you are finally loved in the way you deserve." She paused for a moment as she hugged Sookie.

"I will call you tomorrow with a date and time for our family dinner." she smiled at my bonded with such love that Sookie squealed a little when she hugged her.

Sookie then looked at me with her heavy eyes. I knew how sleepy she must have been as she looked back to Claudine and said,

"I'm going to bed with my bonded. You need to let Niall know that I am bonded to him and I am going to marry and pledge myself to him and that one day he will turn me. I love you and thank you for always saving me, but you and Great-Grandpa Niall have to know if you want to be part of my life then you both will have to accept my choice, okay?" she said with confidence and strength.

"Sookie, I understand and so will he. Although there will be others, who will not, but they are not part of our family and we will protect you from them." Claudine told Sookie with a smile and yet another hug.

"Alright, can you just pop home or do I need to drive you…or how does it work?" she asked

"She cannot 'pop' herself in or out of my home. The house is warded against such entry. She also cannot enter the house during the day without prior safe passage being granted by me to her. She will have to walk back outside about 50 feet away from the front door." I explained to her. "There is only one Fae that will ever be allowed to 'pop' in and out of my home and she does not know how to do that yet." I smiled as Sookie blushed at my last comment.

"Come on Claudine, let me walk you out." She smiled as she took her cousins hand and began walking out to the front yard. The serious conversation seemed to be over as they now had their heads together whispering and giggling all the way out the door. Why they were whispering? They both knew that I could hear every whispered word. To quote my favorite author 'I can hear a mouse peeing on a cotton ball 2 blocks away.' Girls can be such silly things… I will never understand them. I watched her practically skip back into the house. I locked the door and reset the alarm system as I asked her,

"You know, Lover that I heard every word you two ladies were out there whispering." She blushed a little at my statement before giggling and saying,

"What, you have a problem with me telling my cousin you are a fabulous lover and you made me come so hard I passed out?" Half way through the sentence the tenor in her voice change she went from innocent girl to sexy vixen in less than ten seconds flat. She will never cease to amaze me.

"Really, is it that good for you Lover?" I growled back at her.

"Yes, but I do have to wonder if you have really been putting your best foot forward? I mean have you REALLY put your back into it Eric, or are you just coasting along?" she purred at me. Damn it I love this game.

"You're playing a dangerous game little girl." I smiled as my fangs popped down and I felt my gaze go predatory. She should have been scared. A lesser woman would have back down, but not my Sookie. Even as I stared at her like a hungry lion she stood perfectly still and smiled at me. I walked slowly towards her as I circled her and smelled her hair. She smelt like fairy, oh this was going to be good. She still didn't move, instead she looked up at me and said,

"Who says it's a game? I want to know Viking, are you holding back when you fuck me or are you honestly giving it your best shot?" Her hands came up to my face and she stroked down my cheek to my neck. She raised up on her toes and whispered in my ear,

"And Eric if it is a game, I bet you, your last damn dollar, that I can win." and with that she winked at me and popped away from me. SHIT. I could still feel her. She was in the house. HOW THE HELL? Claudine, damn it! When they were alone they had been talking mind to mind, all the dirty talk was a cover to throw me! I, Eric Northman, had just been played. I heard her laughing when I reached my resting chamber.

She was lying on the bed with only a pair of little white lacey panties on, looking very pleased with herself until I said,

"Sookie, do you know what happens to bad little fairies that pop away from their Masters?" I asked menacingly.

"No Eric what happens to bad little fairies like me?" she said innocently. Well somebody was ready to play.

"Their Masters have to punish them or they might think they can pull stunts like that all the time. It could be very dangerous for a little fairy to pop away when their Master is not expecting it." I was going to enjoy this. I was already so hard that if I didn't get these pants off soon there could possibly be permanent damage.

"Oh Master, I would never pop away from you if you tell me not to, I promise. What can I do to show you how sorry I am?" SHIT, she was really going to do this. Damn it, my world is good.

"Get on your hands and knees on the bed Sookie. I have to punish you. It is the only way you will learn to obey." I glared at her and waited to see if she would obey my command. Without hesitation she was on her hands and knees. I stripped quickly and since she was only in her little white lacey panties I just ripped them off. I can always buy her more. She gasped as I ripped them away. Sookie was right I had always been careful, painfully careful with her. I would still have to be until she was a vampire too but I would give her a taste of what she wanted.

I raised my hand and judged carefully at just how hard to bring it on her sweet ass. I struck lightly at first and then just a bit harder. She was gasping and I could see her arousal, it was pooling and running down her inner thighs. It took all my willpower not to just turn her over and lap it up. I spoke as I spanked,

"Sookie, will you ever pop away from me again?" SLAP

"NO!" SLAP

"No what?" SLAP

"NO Master…oh Eric that's so good.." SLAP SLAP

"NO commentary fairy, you may only answer my questions. Do you understand?" SLAP

"YES Master." SLAP

"Good girl. This part of your punishment is almost over." SLAP, SLAP, SLAP. I stopped spanking. Her ass was a bright pink. I rubbed it gently, leaned over and kissed her sweet ass making her moan and pant. Just in case, I bit two of my fingers and massaged some of my blood onto her ass. On the off chance, I had spanked her too hard I didn't want her to hurt or bruise. I wanted to play slave and master again so this had to be a good experience for her. She was moaning and writhing under my attention to her. She panted and begged.

"Please Er…Master, please touch me."

"I am touching you MY little fairy." It was hard to keep my voice cool. It was all I could do to play this game, but she wanted it. I could feel it. She was in my head telling me she wanted it, to please not stop.

"Please Master I will be a good little fairy I promise. Please let me come, please?" she begged.

"Maybe later little fairy, right now you will suck me off." I said as I climbed on to the bed and leaned back with my legs spread. She got up and placed herself between my legs. She looked at me with a smirk as she winked and went down on me. SHIT. She was right, I was going to lose.

**SPOV**

He looked at me like he already knew I was about to rock his damn world. I licked down his shaft to his balls and sucked them into my mouth. He gasped. I laughed a little, stopped to look up at him and I said,

"Who is your Mistress, Eric? Who owns you?" My voice was dark and had an evil sound to it almost. It kinda scared me but he looked at me in awe and answered,

"You Mistress, you own me, all of me, only you. Please?" he was begging now and that pleased this weird part of me that loved owning him. I had no idea where these possessive feelings had come from but they were pleasantly overwhelming.

"Please what Viking? What do you want? You have to ask nicely." I purred at him all the while very lightly stroking him with one finger.

"OH Yes, Mistress please take me back in your mouth, please."

"Really, that is what you want? And just a few moments ago I was just a little fairy with no power and who am I now Eric? Who am I now?" I demanded.

"You are my world. Now, own me Sookie, Mistress, own me!" he begged and I relented. I took him hard in my mouth and within seconds I had him screaming my name. He was cursing and pulling at me, the bed, the headboard, whatever he could get a grip onto as he went over the edge.

**EPOV**

My possessiveness had spilled over into Sookie. She was a goddess. I would spend eternity worshipping this woman. I had called her a girl before, and in some ways she could be but now right now that description was so wrong. A woman – yes, a goddess – yes, love of my entire existence – oh yes!

She was growling at me as I threw her on her back and I took her. It was hard and fast. We tumbled from the bed to the floor, from the bedroom to the sitting area off the bedroom. I am not sure how or where, but somehow she was now mounted on me and riding me as if I were her own private stallion. She looked glorious above me and I was once again simply amazed by her. I reached between us to touch her and bring her to completion again with me. It worked like a charm and as we reached our completion together she collapsed down onto me.

"I love you Sookie Stackhouse. I love you." I was shook down to my core at what we just shared.

"I love you too, but who is Sookie Stackhouse?" she said and I started to laugh but when I looked back at her she didn't blink she just looked at me like I was the one who was crazy.

**A/N: Oh no I did it again… just call me Brittney! Is she joking? ****Did something happen? So how much do you love me? Please review it makes me giggle. I now and a proud owner of a cold/sinus infection but other than that I own NOTHING! MMMMMM...Now hit the green button and make me happy! I love you my little minions.**


	9. Chapter 9  I so got you

Chapter 9 – I so got you!

A/N: Just a note to say I LOVE MY BETA'S they rock! Sassyvampmama and kjwrit are the absolute best and if you don't read their stuff you are so missing out. Thanks to all my sweet little minions and your continued outpouring of support as I go through the loss of my grandma who raised me. It is sad but you all have been so wonderful it just reminds of all the beauty in the world she so believed in! Thanks again! OH and I OWN NOTHING! CH does.

**LAST TIME:**

"**I love you Sookie Stackhouse. I love you." I was shook down to my core at what we just shared.**

"**I love you too but who is Sookie Stackhouse?" she said and I started to laugh but when I looked back at her she didn't blink she just looked at me like I was the one who was crazy.**

**EPOV**

I reached out through the bond and could feel nothing and it seemed that her shields were up. I was about to panic when she said, while laughing out loud,

"I so got you!" She opened the bond back up and filled me with love and laughter!

"You are turning into Pam, you're such a brat!" I laughed and she just grinned as she yawned.

"It's near dawn my love and you have only been cat napping this evening so my sweet Lover, you need to go to bed and get some sleep." I drew her into my arms, kissed the top of her head and asked her, "Do you remember all the codes to get out of the room and up the elevator?"

"Yep, I know how to get in and out of 'The Bat Cave'." she yawned.

"The Bat Cave?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh come on Eric, don't even act like you don't know who Batman is or the fact that this place is sooooo the freaking Bat Lair." She smiled at me but continued to yawn as she climbed off me and walked toward the bathroom. I didn't respond, I just laid there and listened to the sweet sound of my beloved getting ready for bed. She was here, she was really here. I eventually pulled myself from the floor and climbed into the bed. I wanted to go to rest with her scent on me so I did not shower. I could feel that she was tired as she padded back into the bedroom with her face scrubbed, teeth brushed and one of my Fangtasia T-shirts on as her nightgown. She climbed into bed and smiled at me. I kissed her gently and whispered to her,

"Sleep well my bonded. I will see you when I rise. I love you My Sookie."

"Mmmmm, love you too baby. I ….." and with that she was dead to the world. I laid there and watched her sleep. By the gods it was becoming a compulsion to just lay and watch her sleep. I had to pull myself from the bed and out of her arms. I only had a few precious moments before dawn and there was a phone call that had to be made. I could put it off no longer, so I went to the small desk I kept in the hallway between my bedroom and the one Pam used when she stayed here and pulled the phone out as I dialed a familiar number.

"It's The Northman; I need to talk to her now." I paused and waited for the voice I longed to hear.

"Hello Viking, what has you calling me this fine night?" she asked with in a voice that would have sounded like it was being faked on anyone but her.

"I have bonded myself to the girl." I declared tenaciously.

"You bonded yourself to the little telepath? Well now, that puts a whole new spin on things now doesn't it?" she said with surprise and a hint or irritation in her voice. I could almost see her arching her left eyebrow to the ceiling as she spoke to me.

"Yes it does. I have a plan." I stated bluntly.

"I am sure you do, my Viking, you always have a plan. The question is am I going to like this plan?" she demanded with a wicked tone.

"Probably not my Queen, probably not…." I smirked into the phone knowing she was not going to be happy, but it was the beginning of the game. Making this call and garnering her approval, was the first move on my chess board of a plan. And as I made my first move, I felt that old, but familiar feeling of defiance as I set the board to my liking and prepared for the game.

**SPOV**

I awoke and felt like I had a brick wall on top of me. I wondered for a moment if I was trapped underneath something? I realized that I could breathe, but there was just an unexplained pressure on my lower extremities that had me a little worried. Then I opened my still very sleepy eyes to find a large Viking with the bulk of his body between my legs, his arms wrapped securely around my waist and his head lying on my chest. It was obvious to me that he had "fallen asleep" as I like to think of it, listening to my heart beat. That thought brought a smile to my face and joy to my heart.

"Baby, you have to let go. I have to get up." I whispered and he made a noise that reminded me of something a two year old would make when one tried to take a favorite toy away.

"nuh-uh…mmmm…mine…" it would seem the bonding did not help with the crazy possessiveness.

"Baby, I'll come right back now Let. Me. Up. or I am peeing in your bed." I cooed the first part, but got very serious with the last of the statement due to my predicament. Very reluctantly he let me go and I eased out of the bed as I made my way to the bathroom. My human needs were screaming at me as I practically ran the last few steps to the toilet.

By the time I had freshened up a little and headed back to the bedroom. I kissed my Viking's cheek as I had promised and then I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was 4 pm. WOW, how did that happen? Then it hit me, _'Oh my Lord…Sam...work…crap.'_ My mind was racing and I felt so guilty for leaving Sam in the lurch. I ran for the door and elevator, I was so flustered it took me two attempts to get the codes right. I got upstairs to find that Eric had somehow procured a cell phone charger for my phone and it sat next to his on the kitchen counter. 'Nice touch Viking, nice touch' I thought as I dialed Merlotte's and prayed Sam would not be too mad. The phone had rung eight times before someone picked up; that was **so** not a good sign.

"HELLO Merlotte's!" Sam shouted.

"Hey Sam, I am so sorry… I…" I tried to explain, but he interrupted.

"Cher, How are you? Pam said you were under the weather and would be out for a couple days. She sent over help but they just walked in the door and we are slammed….hang on…hang on" He informed me much to my surprise. I decided I would be mad at Pam later for 'handling' my life. I had to admit I was glad for the time off though. I realized when he told me to hang on he was transferring me back to his office line to afford us some privacy. I waited for him to pick up again and as he did he asked,

"So Cher, are you feeling okay? Where are you? When Pam told me you were sick I went by the apartment, but it didn't look like you had been there in a while." He sounded so worried and I knew he was not going to like what I had to say.

"Sam I'm fine. I have been very tired and I needed some time to sort some things out so I am staying at Eric's house." I winced as I said it waiting for the backlash.

"Damn it Sookie. You're going to get sucked back in to all that Vampire shi….." he was just getting wound up so I just blurted out the rest.

"I bonded to him last night and I'm in love with him Sam, so please don't, just don't." I made the incoherent statement not knowing what else to say. I just did not want to fight with him. He went silent for a moment before saying,

"If he hurts you…" he started.

"I know I know...you'll stake him." I smiled at the male posturing.

"Sookie you're my best friend and I love you. If the truth be told, I always hoped for more for us, but I was too late on the draw. I'll always be here for you Sook, whatever you need." It was sweet and sincere. Sam was a true friend and he made me feel like maybe just maybe things between us would be okay. I knew that Sam and Eric would never be best friends, but I thought they would now at least try to get along for me.

"Thank you Sam and thanks for the time off. I am so happy here. Sam, I haven't talked to Eric about it yet, but I'm going to look for a job here in Shreveport and move in here with Eric. I just wanted to give you a heads up." I informed him of my impromptu decision. To quote Katie Perry 'I hope my boyfriend don't mind it' but something told me Eric would be thrilled with my latest decision.

"Sookie, I hope you find everything you want and I hope the vampire makes you happy." He emphasized the word vampire.

"Sam, I made him quit calling you 'the shifter' so you can't call him 'the vampire' anymore. His name is Eric and that is what you are going to call him from now on, you got me?" I popped off quickly to show my irritation.

"Sorry Cher, I will try, but no promises." He laughed into the phone. I could tell he was trying to appease me. My stomach started growling and I told Sam I would see him soon but then I had to go eat.

I went to the fridge and much to my delight there was left over pizza from last night. Pam could be a pain, but Lord she could cook. I giggled to myself, but then I really thought about Pam and the night before last.

When I was on the floor when I broke down in Eric's office it surprised me when she got on the floor with me and held me. When she cried right along with me it shocked the hell out of me, but comforted me in a way I still can't quite explain. Last night when she made supper for me and held me during the movie, it felt familiar; it made me feel safe. It wasn't just Eric that had made me feel safe, it was Pam too. Pam felt like…..oh hell…. family. Pam felt like family. _'Well hell, when did this happen? I love freaking Pam. Shit. Eric will never let me live this down and if she thinks for one second this means I am going to put up with all her snarky shit she has another thing coming.'_ I thought to myself as I finally realized I had a family again. I laughed out loud and threw the pizza in the microwave and waited for my yummy goodness to heat up.

I sat down at the kitchen table and ate my pizza. The thought of family made me think of Jason, my oh- so-selfish brother. He may not have the sense to come out of the rain, but I do love him. Even if I sometimes think he only loves me when it's convenient for him. I dialed the phone as I ate my pizza.

"The one and only Jason Stackhouse here." Yes, he actually answered the phone like that.

"Hey Jase, it's me." I chirped.

"Sook, where in the hell are you? I went by the house to check on you today and all I found was a mess," he said with inflection in his voice. I actually thought he was there to check on me until he continued,

"I needed to borrow some tools out of Gran's shed and I was hoping to get some of your fried chicken, but it looked like you still ain't got that kitchen fixed." He was actually mad at me because I wasn't home to cook for him in my kitchen that was burnt down almost to the ground.

"Jason, in case you forgot, about half my house burnt down three nights ago and Alcide just got out there two days ago to give me the estimates on what it will cost to fix it. SO I AM REALLY SORRY that I was not there to cook for you! Jason you are soooo selfish. I swear, we're blood, but you treat me like I'm some dog that you get to decide when to pet it and when to kick it around. Well you know what? That shit is over! I have a family that loves me now and you can just forget all about me." My initial burst of rage was over and I was in tears crying so hard I could barely speak.

"Jason, why don't you love me? All I ever wanted was for you to be my big brother and love me." I sobbed into the phone and was surprised to hear Jason crying as well.

"Sook, I do love you. I'm so sorry I haven't showed you enough for you to know for sure. I love you baby sister. I love you." he said and to my surprise continued when he kept crying right along with me.

"Really?" I sniffed and he did respond immediately for his own tears, but I knew he was trying and that was all that mattered. My brother loved me.

"Really, and I am going to make it all up to you. I promise Sook. Now who is this new family you think you're replacing me with?" he said with a touch of teasing in his voice.

I sniffed and smiled as I chose my words wisely. "Jason, now I don't want you to start 'cause I know you don't like vampires, but you don't know how they are with me. It's Eric and Pam; they love me. Eric and I, well we are together now and Pam, she's becoming one of my closest friends, if she's not the closest one already. I feel so safe and so happy when I'm with them." I once again waited for the backlash.

"Sook, if you're happy that's all that matters to me. I love you baby sister and I am going to make sure you know it from now on out. I'll support you and whatever decisions you make as long as you are safe and happy. If he hurts you though…."

"I know, I know. You'll stake 'm your damn self." I giggled at all the male posturing. Why did all the males in my life have to be alpha dogs? (Several of them quite literally were, come to think of it.)

I heard movement behind me and then Eric's sweet voice.

"Who are you going to stake Lover? Should I alert the staff at Fangtasia or should I be worried?" He laughed as he kissed my cheek while I stroked his hair and told Jason,

"Listen big brother, I have to go. I'll call you later and we can make plans to see each other, okay?"

"You got it Sook, I love you and tell that big vampire of yours he better take care of you and keep you safe. Let him know that there are shifters still getting shot and I'm worried. I think it's best if you stay where ever you are." He informed me.

"Someone else got shot?" I asked.

Jason replied "Yeah some girl, I didn't know her but she was a shifter that Calvin knew. To be honest she favored Crystal from the photo Calvin showed me. It was kinda creepy. She's gonna make it, but she didn't get a look at the shooter so just be careful Sook, okay?" he said with sincerity in his voice.

"Okay Jason I'll be careful I promise. And please, you need to be careful too. I mean, whoever this is Jason they are after two natured people, that means you now. I'm going to tell Eric everything as soon as I get off the phone with you. He's the Sheriff of the area this is happening in so maybe he can help. I love you, Jason! Bye." I heard Jason give a quick love you too and we hung up.

I stood up, hugged Eric and kissed him hello. He leaned back and gave me a concerned look.

"Sookie do you want to tell me why I felt such sorrow from you earlier?" he asked sweetly.

"Jason and I had to clear the air between us. I thought he didn't love me but I was wrong." I smiled happily. He did not question me about it farther, but moved on to the last of the phone call.

"Tell me Lover, what is it that Jason was telling you at the end of your conversation?" he asked very inquisitively.

"That someone is still shooting shifters in Hot Shot and he thinks I should stay here. I also promised him I would get you to look into all of these shootings. Will that be a problem?" I asked sheepishly.

"I will have someone look into the shootings, and I will keep you safe, I swear. And my sweet Lover you can move in here with me and stay forever. I love every moment of having you here. I love listening to you get ready for bed, watching you sleep, making love to you every night, and waking to your voice floating through the house; well it has made me happier than I have ever been. I am hoping you will come to think of this house as your home, as our home. That is what this house has suddenly become for me. In the past two nights this place has finally become my home simply because you are here." he said with that goofy smile I'm falling in love with all over again.

"I'm glad you feel that way, because I just told Sam I'm going to look for a job here in Shreveport and that I want to move in with you. Are you sure that's that okay with you?" I asked quickly and with a little fear of rejection. I mean we just got back together but suddenly he smiled at me and said,

"Why don't you drop your shields and see how I really feel about it?" he grinned.

I hadn't even realized I was shielding. I guess that's why I had not felt him rise for the evening. I'm just so used to doing it sometimes I just shield myself out of habit. I dropped the shields and lost my breath in the process.

**EPOV**

My sweet little insecure Sookie, she was shielding so heavily she couldn't feel me. I wasn't even sure she could feel all the love I was sending her through the bond. The moment she let down her shields her eyes flew open wide and she jumped into my arms.

"I love you so much!" She was kissing me all over my face as my cell phone rang. I could tell by the ring tone that it was Pam, so I answered.

"Yes Pamela, this is not a good…." She cut me off.

"I have to see you. I am NOT happy. Are you coming here or am I coming there?" she demanded.

"Come here, straight here. What does this concern?" I asked cryptically.

"Pick a topic! We have problems." She hung up on me.

As I hung up from Pam I looked at Sookie and said,

"We are unfortunately about to have company. Pam says she has to speak to me." I explained

"Is everything okay?" she asked full of concern and worry as she furrowed her little brow.

"You are safe and you will stay safe. Why don't you finish your pizza and we will go wait in the library for Pam. I know you wanted to go in there last night and snoop." I teased and then she amazed me again.

"You're safe too, Baby." she said with a distant look in her eyes. "Eric, you don't have to hide things from me. I know you have done things and have had things done to you that would break my heart if I knew the gravity of it, but it doesn't make you who you are. Not to me. You have to let me in Eric all the way not just halfway or it will come between us. I'm not saying you have to tell me everything tonight, but soon, you have to quit shielding it all soon. I'm stronger than you give me credit for. I can take it. I won't be scared because I know you will take care of me and I **will** take care of you. I **will** not run." She kissed my cheek as she popped another piece of pizza on her plate and walked toward the library.

I wanted to tell her, 'soon Sookie soon', but I wanted all the chess pieces in place first. I wanted to know the first moves were successful and that my plan was working before I told her anything.

About 10 minutes later Pam arrived in a huff.

"Compton is a douche! I hate him. Can I stake him?" she exclaimed as she let herself in the house. She had parked in the garage like she owned the place. It's my own damn fault since I have spoiled her rotten.

"What has he done now?" I asked.

"Well for starters, he had a total girl fit, when I may or may not have, let it slip that you and Sookie are together now and that you bonded…."

"Pam, did you poke the bear?" I asked with fake annoyance in my voice.

"Well, maybe a little." She smiled her evil little smile at me as I said,

"Good Girl. What was his reaction?" I asked as I smirked.

"A lot of flapping his arms, pacing around and he muttered something about the Queen and you putting Sookie in danger. Do you think he will call her?" Pam asked with worry in her voice.

"No. He doesn't want Sophie Anne to get her hands on Sookie either. He will help us. What did he say about Charles?" I asked.

"Well, he said he would not rest until he knew the truth. I believe him about that. He got this look in his eyes when I told him she could be in danger. I think the idiot really did fall in love with her." She said with a hint of disbelief in her voice. I sensed that Compton had annoyed her more than upset her. I wanted to get to the bottom of the feelings of worry that was rolling off of her, so I asked,

"So, what had you so upset on the phone?" I spoke softly and she was still on a tangent as she complained that,

"Hot Rain, Longshadow's maker, called again. He is still demanding restitution for Longshadow's death. I told him that his 'child' was stealing from his Sheriff and attempted to kill one of his Sheriffs' assets, but he's not hearing it. You are soooo going to have to deal with him. Send him something, a horse or a goat, I don't know. He is an asshat. I am too young for all this stress." she snarked.

"So your problems are; Hot Rain is being an asshat and Bill Compton is being a douche? Pam, Hot Rain has always been an asshat and Compton, as we all know, has always been a douche. SO what is all of this really about?" I asked as I motion to her pacing around the kitchen.

"I think it's about what Bill said when he started researching Charles. He looked him up before I left and it was more what he didn't find than what he did find." She paused for a moment to sit on the counter top so she would be closer to my eye level. She often did this when she was worried. She always wanted to be able to see my eyes, to read my emotions.

"Charles is in the database, but when you click on the maker he listed, well no one has ever heard of him. There is no information, NONE! It's like he's a ghost. He just showed up one day a vampire. Bill is going to dig deeper, but he is worried Eric, so worried in fact, that he told me to tell you that he would help you any way you needed." She ended her explanation as she twisted the ring on her finger. The ring was the one I had given her for her 1st death day present and it was the only ring she ever wore. She reached for my hands and hopped back down as she looked up into my eyes. Then, clenching her hands and twisting the ring, as she got all glassy eyed. That had always been her biggest tell that she was scared.

"So what's really bothering you, is that you think Sookie is in danger and that scares you?" I asked gently knowing it would not be easy for her to admit that she loved someone other than me and that she was worried about them.

"Yes, Eric, something is not right. All of my senses are telling me that something bad is about to happen. We should be ready. We can't lose her Eric, we can't. Tell me you have a plan." She said with true worry in her voice.

"I do and I have already set it in motion. Everything will be fine my progeny." I explained as Sookie was making her way down the hall to look at us.

"What is a progeny and why do ya'll look so serious?" she asked looking so innocent and adorable.

"The definition of progeny is an offspring or something that develops or results from something else. Lover, it is fancy way of me calling Pam my child. I do it normally to calm or soothe her." I explained.

"So Pammy, why are you upset?" Sookie asked as she walked toward Pam.

'_Pammy? Did she really just call Pam, Pammy?'_

"I am not upset and don't …." She started to explain, but as Sookie reached out to hug Pam, she gave a huge sigh and said, "I am worried about you and keeping you safe." Pam snuggled into Sookie's embrace and smiled.

"Awww Pam, that is so sweet but you don't have to worry about me anymore." And with that she lit her little hands and gave Pam a little zap on the ass.

"OUCH! What did you do, you little BRAT?" Pam demanded as she rubbed her ass and glared at Sookie, but then just at me because I was laughing so hard.

"I'm a freaking fairy!" she giggled.

"You are not!" she yelled in a shocked laugh.

"Yes I am and a fairy princess at that!" She was still laughing at Pam's reactions.

"Well, fuck a zombie! That sure explains a lot!" Pam smiled her evil smile as she picked Sookie up and spun around with her in the kitchen. They laughed and giggled until they collapsed in the floor together.

**A/N: I just had to stop it there my little minions. We are about to cover a lot of ground in the next chapters so hold on to you hats. Why and who did Eric make that mysterious pre-dawn phone call? Will Pam ever get Eric to buy someone a goat? Will Bill ever not be a douche? Can I get Asshat added to the Webster dictionary? They are all very good and important questions, some more than others. HUGS**

**NOW REVIEW FOR MOMMA and make me do the Happy Dance!**


	10. Chapter 10  Plan Twice Kill Once

Chapter 10 – Plan Twice; Kill Once

A/N: In case you forgot, I own nothing. CH (who rules) & AB (who does not) own everything SVM & TB. I love my BETA team of sassyvampmama and kjwrit; they are the perfect mix of sexy and sweet. I love them dearly and THEY ARE MINE! (I growled when I said it…. It was very Eric like…impressive even)

**LAST TIME: "I am not upset and don't …." She started to explain, but as Sookie reached to hug Pam, she gave a huge sigh and said, "I am worried about you and keeping you safe." Pam snuggled into Sookie's embrace and smiled.**

"**Awww Pam, that is so sweet but you don't have to worry about me anymore." And with that she lit her little hands and gave Pam a little zap on the ass.**

"**OUCH! What did you do, you little BRAT?" Pam demanded as she rubbed her ass and glared at Sookie and then to me because I was laughing so hard.**

"**I am a freaking fairy!" she giggled.**

"**You are not!" she yelled in a shocked laugh.**

"**Yes I am and a fairy princess at that!" she was still laughing at Pam's reactions.**

"**Well fuck a zombie! That explains a lot!" Pam smiled an evil smile as she picked Sookie up and spun around with her in the kitchen. They laughed and giggled until they collapsed in the floor together.**

**Queens POV**

"Damn you Viking you better not get yourself or the girl killed." I muttered under my breath as I rose for the night. I was not happy with the early morning phone call I had received from him, but I have to say his plan sounds fool proof. Dangerous, but fool proof none the less. He always did have a flare for the dramatic I thought as remembered a specific time and it made me smile to myself. I picked up my phone and made the call that The Northman had asked for me to make for him.

"Tell Niall Brigant that The Northman's Queen is on the phone. Put him on immediately or I will find you and drain you dry." I purred into the phone to some underling that I am quite sure I just made pee their fairy pants. I smiled as a heard Niall whisper my true name.

**EPOV**

My two girls were giggling and walking down the hall to the library together, arm in arm. I never thought I would see the day that Pam would be giggling like a girl with Sookie, but there they are holding on to each other and laughing like teenage girls. I smiled at their happiness and decided to let them have their fun. They deserved some down time, but I had no such luxury. I had an important meeting that I could not put off. The first move in my well planned game of chess was about to be made and there could be no mistakes. Before I came upstairs this evening to find Sookie I had listened to an important message waiting for me on my private line. I had to make my first move and it had to be tonight. Maybe Sookie was right and my resting place was the Bat Lair. I had a special phone number that no one had access to except a numbered few; damn it, she _was_ right, it was the Bat Lair.

"Lover, I have an errand to run. It is unavoidable, but I will be back before dawn." I kissed her gently on top of the head and then looked to my child as I pulled her to the hallway, away from Sookie and said,

"Pamela, I want you to stay here with Sookie." I said it gently as I ran my hands down Pam's arms and whispered as I took her hands in my own,

"I trust you with what matters most. Stay here, do not follow and do not let her follow, no matter what either of you feel or see. As your maker I command you." I added the last so she would understand the gravity of what I needed her to do.

"As you wish Master." She fell to one knee and bowed her head. It was unbeknownst to me that Sookie had stuck her head out into the hallway and when she looked at me I knew she was terrified.

"Eric, Pam, you guys are scaring me. What is going on? Where do you have to go? Who do you have to meet with and WHY IN THE HELL ARE YOU BLOCKING ME?" She was beginning to panic. I had hoped to avoid this, but I had handled it poorly.

"Sookie, it is an informal meeting with Niall and the council he sits on. I have to pay restitution for taking you as my bonded. I will be home before dawn. I want you to stay here and wait for me."

"NOT NO, but Hell NO! I am going with you. You aren't going to pay them shit. Eric what do they want, a dowry or something…" and then the reality of my world hit her.

"Blood, you have to pay them in blood. It's why you shut down the bond. But Claudine said Niall would be happy for us, why?" she asked with a single tear running down her face.

"He is happy for us, but this is what we must do, it's so that he will seem strong to the council, as there are others who wish to use this to show him as weak. It will also prove the treaty was not broken. If he does nothing it endangers him, therefore it endangers you. I have to pledge to protect you above myself. It is a blood oath and I will be asked for restitution for taking you without keeping the terms of the treaty." I advised as gently as I could.

"What does that mean?" I saw her little hands shake. I thought of lying but could not.

"I will most likely be silvered while I make my oath. I will probably be lashed." I had handled this all wrong. This was nothing to me, but to her it was deplorable.

'_I can't let you do this alone.' _She thought to me. I reopened our connection and she gasped as she grabbed her chest and tumbled over.

"Sookie, what is it?" Pam exclaimed as she grabbed Sookie by her waist.

"Our love. He opened the connection between us and when our love comes at me sometimes it overwhelms me." She told Pam as best she could explain.

"I will come home to you tonight Lover and you can dote on me the rest of the evening." I promised in an attempt to tease and make her smile, but once again I handled the whole situation wrong.

"I won't let them torture you because you love me!" she exclaimed, on the verge of tears.

"It's not torture Sookie; it's a rite of passage, a way for me to show them how serious I am about keeping you safe and about how deep our love is to each other. I have to do this, for us." I tried again to explain.

"Our love shouldn't hurt you." She hugged and kissed me and then just as suddenly ran from me toward the kitchen. I knew she was going to go to "The Bat Lair" as she called it and I thought perhaps that was best. On some level it made me happy that she ran to my bedroom for safety. In days of old Sookie would have run from me instead of to me. I then turned to Pam and said,

"Well, that could have gone better." I winced at the pain that was coming from Sookie's little heart.

"You think? Eric I love you, but you are soooo clueless when it comes to a woman's emotions. Go, just go and get it over with so you can come back home. That way she will see that you are fine. I will tend to her and keep her safe." She said with irritation in her voice before adding,

"Master, make note of those that harm you tonight. One dark night, they will die by my hand." She said with deadly intention as she turned to go look in on my sweetest love.

**PPOV**

'_Fucking faeries.' _I thought as I made my way to Sookie. I was so livid at the fact my maker would be hurt, so much so that I didn't know what to do with myself. I was in the middle of thinking of ways to kill every faery I could get my hands when I saw Sookie, who was crying on the bed. She looked up at me with blurry red eyes and said,

"Every faery, but me right? You wouldn't hurt me, would you Pam? You love me don't you?" she whispered.

"Sookie, I would never hurt you. Yes, I do love you my little telepathic friend." I tried to soothe her because she was in no shape to have a deep conversation but just then a realization hit me.

"Sookie how did you know I was thinking about killing faeries?" I asked gently not wanting to scare her.

"I can do things now. We think it's the vampire blood or the bond, we aren't sure what caused it, but I can hear vampires now. I'm sorry Pam." She whimpered as her little hands shook and she buried her head against me.

"It's okay Sookie, it is okay. You're alright." I cooed.

"You're not mad at me? Eric said you were very private and I shouldn't tell you yet, but I couldn't lie to you. You're my best friend," she cried softly.

"No angel, I am not mad. It will be okay, everything will be okay." I soothed.

"No it's not Pam. The man I love is going to be tortured tonight because he loves me and he can sugar coat it all he wants as this big "rite of passage", but it's wrong Pam, it's wrong and we have to stop it!" she stomped her little foot and I knew that I was in trouble.

"Sookie, I promised Eric I would not let you follow. He commanded me as my maker, so even if I did think it was wise to go barging into this meeting I could NOT let you go or aid you in any way." I said firmly.

"Okay, I understand. Pam, I can't just sit here and wait for him to get home. Will you take me for a walk just in the backyard around the property so I can get some fresh air?" She asked so sweetly.

"Of course little one, come on, I'll take you now." We went upstairs but before we went outside she said she wanted to call her cousin Claudine. I found it odd that she did not seem to be speaking to Claudine very much, but I thought Claudine was probably just calming her down by talking to her. She was on the phone for several minutes before she took me by my hand and walked out the back door with me. She took several deep breaths and turned to look at me.

"Pam, I love you and none of this is your fault. There is no way you could have known and he won't be able to get mad at you. I love you." She said cryptically right before I heard a loud POP and Sookie simply disappeared.

"Oh God no…. SOOKIE?" I yelled for help knowing there was none coming. I called every vampire I could think of to Eric's home, I was so desperate- I even called Bill. I called her worthless brother and the shifter; did I mention I was desperate?

"Sookie has been kidnapped. I think she's offered herself to save Eric. Please you have to come now." That was the message I sent to everyone with GPS coordinates to Eric's home. God if he lives through tonight I am a dead (finally dead) woman, but if Sookie dies I won't want to continue anyway.

**SPOV**

I felt Claudine before I heard the POP. She had explained to me how to "pop" somewhere I had been to before but I had no idea how to "pop" to her house so she had to come get me. She explained on the phone what the air would feel like and I was surprised when I did indeed feel the air become heavy and thick with magic. I could feel her arrival very much the same way I can feel Eric when he rises. Once to we got to her house Claudine released me.

"So on a scale of one to ten how mad is that scary vampire Pam going to be at me?" she asked.

"Oh about a ten, but once I explain it to her, you'll be okay. Pam would never hurt someone I love." I explained.

"Now Claudine, tell me everything about this meeting, the blood oath and what they are going to do to Eric." I felt myself going into a mode that I was not used to, I was planning. I was planning and re-planning. I smiled realizing that I was using something that I had gained from Eric and our connection.

"He will be asked if he will subject himself to taking the oath while being silvered." She started to explain.

"So he will have a choice?" I asked.

"No not really. It's an honor thing Sookie, if he says no it will imply that you do not mean that much to him." she advised.

"What about the blood?" I asked.

"He will be 'asked' to sign an oath in his own blood, with Niall saying that he will protect you above even himself. He will be cut and the blood will be used to sign the contract. In this case, the blood maybe taken by flogging him with silver chains." She said the last part quietly.

"And I have to just sit here and let this happen?" I said more to myself than her.

"No you don't," she smiled. "Sookie, you and Eric are bonded now. You own the Viking. This is different than Alexander and Lillianna, they were not bonded. You and Eric are bonded; his blood is legally yours." She smiled cryptically.

"So I can stop this? Can you take me to the meeting?" I started to get excited.

"No, I cannot take you, but I can get you there. You will not be welcome by most as it will be seen as an act of defiance by others. You need a plan and all the facts. Sookie, you are more powerful than anything in that room even if you can't control your powers yet, but you have to go in there with confidence and purpose. You have to concentrate and call your magic to you. You can do this Sookie, but know that they can smell fear, so you must show them none. If Breandan is there, you will be revealing yourself to him, so you have to be sure this is worth it. They won't do anything to the Viking that he can't survive. He will be home to you tonight. Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked me with hesitation in her voice.

"YES." I said as my voice deepened and I went to a very cold place. If it was reversed he would let no one take my blood or hurt me just to prove a point.

"Alright, this is what you have to do….." She began to explain my rights as Eric's bonded. I was impressed with her knowledge and wondered how she knew all this.

"You called Lillianna didn't you?"

"Among others," she grinned, "and Niall also predicted you would react this way. He has watched you for some time now. He knows how you're likely to react to what you deem as an injustice." She advised as if she didn't think what they were doing to Eric was an injustice.

"I have to do this Claudine. You haven't seen the torture and horrors he has already lived through. I can't let him think that it's okay for someone to hurt him because he loves me. I can't let him equate love and pain. I can't let them hurt him because of me." I paused for a moment before asking my final question,

"So Claudine on a scale of one to ten, how mad is Eric going to be to see me?" I winced as I asked.

"Oh, I'd say about a twenty." And the fairy giggled.

"Well hell!" _Being in love sucks,_ I thought_._ I smiled a little to myself as Claudine and I went over my plan one more time. Plan twice; kill once.

**EPOV**

"Good evening Niall." I said with little or no emotion in my voice as I reached the entrance to the meeting place.

"Viking." That was all he said, as he nodded in my general direction.

There were several others in the room. I knew some of them. Breandan, Prince of the Water Fae; he was and will always be a bastard and he was now Niall's biggest competition for Ruler over all Fae. Evan, the Prince of the Earth Fae; he held no real power but had always sided with Niall in any disputes. The others held no real power either and were just delegates of the different realms.

"Viking, I spoke to your Queen earlier this evening and I have all the paperwork filled out as she has requested I believe you will find it all in order. Shall we begin?" he asked me in a monotone voice.

"I am pleased you spoke with her and yes let's get this over with; I need to get home to Sookie. She is very distressed over all of this and she doesn't understand the importance of the blood oath. She deems it barbaric. " I could feel her though the bond. She was worried, but then suddenly, very suddenly, cold. I could feel distress through my bond with Pam, but I knew Sookie was alright because I could feel her. Niall agreed with me and went right to the business at hand.

"Do you agree to be silvered while we do the oath?" he asked as he nodded to silver cuffs on the table beside a knife and cup that I assumed would be used to gather my blood.

"Yes." I answer with no emotion. I was going into that deep dark place I go to when I am to be tortured, but this was for Sookie and there was nothing that I would not do for her.

"Do you agree to a blood oath to prove your intentions to my great granddaughter?" his voice softened when he mentioned Sookie. I would think on that later.

"Yes." was of course my answer.

He pulled a large silver knife and laid it on the table but before he could say more Breandan stepped forward and said,

"Do you not demand retribution Niall? He took her without asking your consent and he broke treaty with us. This is an affront to the Fae nation!" _'Here we go.'_ I thought to myself as he was acting incensed on Sookie's behalf, but she meant nothing to him and was a mere pawn to him. I knew that Niall was behind a rock and a hard place so I offered a way out. And the way was to my benefit and according to my plan.

"I submit myself to you Niall and whatever punishment you deem fit. I will gladly suffer to prove my love of your great granddaughter, but I want it stated I did not know she was Fae when we bonded. So the treaty between Marcus, Laurell and your people stands. It was not broken." I said in my best fuck you all voice.

"I agree to this. Ten lashes of silver then." Niall added. I simply nodded that I agreed and I thought Check.

I stripped my shirt off and walked to the two pillars I was directed to go to. I saw the silver chains that came from the twin concrete pillars. Raising my arms to submit to my beating, I was silvered to the pillars. The silver burnt like a mother, but I would be damned if I made a sound. Breandan came out of nowhere and punched me in the gut. It didn't hurt, it simply pissed me off.

"Breandan that is enough, stop!" Niall yelled at him.

"You are a weak old man. Let me or my underlings beat him for you." He said as he nodded in Neave and Lochlan's direction. They were legendary for their torture and killing. I braced and readied myself as I saw the silver barbwire come out of their bags and I went deeper into my deep dark hole that I dug for myself centuries ago when first abused by my maker.

Just then there was a loud POP and there stood the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. Sookie. Somehow she looked taller and brighter to my eyes. She didn't look to me immediately, but I knew she knew I was there. She looked like a warrior. It was obvious by her stance that she had come expecting war. I had this sudden knowledge that she would kill everyone here in order to take me back home, unharmed.

"I am Sookie Stackhouse Brigant, Princess and Heir to the throne of all Fae; I am the bonded and soon to be wife of Eric Northman. I believe you naughty faeries have something that belongs to me and I am here to take it back." Her voice was dark and deep.

"It is good to see you great granddaughter." Niall said to her with a grin and a wink. She smiled a wicked smile very briefly but said nothing to him in return. Then her eyes fell on me and she roared,

"You dare touch that which is mine? He is my bonded! I own him. Release him NOW!" her eyes were ablaze and her hand began to glow. Even Breandan looked a little afraid as he spoke to her. I felt her magic roll throughout the room and everyone steeled themselves as if they were readying themselves for a fight or to run.

"He broke the treaty by taking you, My Lady; we only take what is due from him. This is his brides price." he tried to explain but she was having none of his excuses.

"You will take nothing. Did you not hear me? RELEASE HIM NOW!" the blaze in her eyes was growing and I could only hope she could control it. Niall looked worried as he finally spoke,

"Sookie, I will release your bonded but he has to sign the blood oath to me that he will protect you." he said softly to her as if he was trying to soothe her and calm her anger. I tried to send to her that I had to do this, but her mind was shielded from me.

"We owe you NOTHING, but release him from his chains and we will 'talk'" she said with evilness in her voice, one that I had heard before in my own voice.

"Release him." Niall ordered. If Breandan thought of balking he didn't show it. He nodded to Neave who released one of my bonds, but not before scratching my back with her silver tipped nails. I winced, but attempted to make no noise. I saw a raw fierceness in Sookie's eyes that I had never seen in them before, and the look on Niall's face was one of shock as well, as Sookie flew across to where I hung and grabbed Neave by the neck. I knew that look that was in her eyes as it was the same look I had given thousands of times to thousands of enemies. It was the look that said, 'tonight you will die and I will survive' My Sookie was channeling my desires for blood and revenge. I had no idea how she was pulling power from me while blocking me from her mind, but I knew that was what she was doing with no doubt. She was acting on pure adrenaline and I could only hope that she could live with the consequences of killing in this manner.

**SPOV**

My beloved, they had him spread between two pillars like an animal, chained in silver. I demanded his release just as Claudine told me that Niall and Lillianna had said I needed to do. A Fae woman went to release Eric after a few minutes of posturing, but she cut deep wounds down his back with her silver tipped nails. That was a big mistake on her part. I moved faster than human or Fae could see, but I knew Eric saw me move. I grabbed her by her throat.

"That was a big mistake, Bitch. Do you have any idea **what** I am?" I said as I raised my hand ready to strike her down. I hit her, but not with a killing blow. Another Fae moved toward me, but I knocked him down too. There was light all around me and I was full of hate and anger.

He spoke as he went down, "We don't care who you are."

I smiled and laughed but my voice was not my own,

"Oh my sweet little boy, I did NOT say WHO, I said WHAT. Do you know WHAT I AM?" I bent down to where he lay and stoked his face. I could taste his blood in the pulse that was racing beneath his skin. I wanted him to die and I wanted to be the one to kill him. I had never felt this sort of rage before in my entire life. I wanted to drain him dry.

"ENOUGH!" Niall yelled. No one moved including me. "She is in her right to demand retribution. It was a blood offense against her bonded. Lochlan you will leave with your woman now." he commanded.

The two Fae immediately popped away from the scene. '_Well, "pop pop fizz fizz" two down and thirty to go',_ I thought to myself and I reached up to release the last bond on Eric's wrist. He smiled down at me, but I could tell he wasn't really there when I looked into his eyes. He had left and went to that dark place he won't let me see into yet. He was prepared to pay a price for loving me that he did not owe. He touched my face as I released him from his chains and then looked at me very sternly,

"Which part of, do not follow, did you not understand?" He asked quietly, but with no real condemnation, only concern in his voice.

"I will not run; I will not leave you. We have a covenant, you and I; your enemies are my enemies." It was the only way I could explain my actions. I kissed his cheek and stroked his hair- before I took my hand and put it over the scratches on his back. Niall looked surprised that I was able to heal Eric with my touch. Eric closed his eyes and relaxed into my embrace while I held and healed him before turning to Niall.

"Now, great-grandfather, what do we have to do to go home?" I asked sternly.

"You need to cut him and he needs to sign these papers in his own blood." He explained as he added, "Then I will do the same and I hope that our next meeting will be a happier one. I do love you little one." '_Why do all the people who love me call me little one? I am not that short.'_ I thought absently.

"What do these papers say?" I asked about the task at hand.

"They say that he will protect you above all others and that includes himself. It says that he did not know you were Fae before you two were bonded and that I hereby negate the requirement of you bearing a child to your clan." he explained. I thought about that last part and wanted to kick all their asses, but I let it go. I looked from Niall to Eric and asked,

"Do you agree to these terms?" I kept my eyes on Eric, and saw that he nodded and said,

"Yes."

I took the silver knife off the table, sliced Eric's chest open and gathered the blood in the container that was beside the papers. I then lifted my head up to the cut on his chest and licked the remaining blood before the wound healed. He pulled me closer and held my head against him as I did this. I knew this would probably cause him to become aroused, but there were two reasons I did it. First, I wanted all those there to see that he was my bonded and his blood belonged to me. Second, there was no way I was letting his sweet blood go to waste. It just tasted too damn good.

When I was done licking Eric's chest I looked up to him and he smiled at me as he projected his thoughts to me,

'_I am taking you home and to bed. I am going to make love to you until you beg me to let you rest.'_ It wasn't a promise; it was a threat! I smiled as he took the pen, dipped it in his own blood and signed the papers. I looked at Niall and told him what lay in my heart.

"If anyone comes near him again, to bring him harm, they die. I want you to be part of my life, I do. But he IS MY LIFE, so no more posturing." He nodded as he walked to me, kissed my forehead and cryptically whispered,

"You are truly Fintan's Little faery Princess and you will be the heir." then he looked to Eric and added,

"Viking, what she just did is the tip of the iceberg to what she will be able to do. You must watch her carefully." Eric simply nodded. He was truly, just then, coming back to himself. It hurt my heart to know he had a place that deep and dark to hide himself in. What had Ocella done to him?

"Eric, my bonded are you ready to go home?" I tossed all the questions I had out the window. I just wanted to go home and make love my vampire all night.

"Yes Lover. Come let's go." He said as I saw in his eyes that he had finally return from wherever it was that he'd retreated to.

Since he had flown to this macabre sight, I gathered him to me and popped us to the yard where I had left Pam about an hour ago and found quite a scene.

Pam was standing there with Bill, Jason, Sam, Calvin Norris and several other random vampires. Some of them I vaguely recognized and others I did not. Pam's eyes locked on to me and for a moment she looked relieved and then she looked pissed. VERY PISSED.

**A/N: So my adorable little minions I had to stop there. We will see some sweetness next chapter so no worries. So what do you think? How mad is Pam? And there are 'LEMONS' a coming! HUGS**

**NOW REVIEW AND MAKE ME SMILE! **


	11. Chapter 11 Another reason to Hate Bill C

Chapter 11 – Yet another reason to hate Bill Compton

A/N: I love my content editor kjwrit and I am being 'threatened' (lovingly) by another writer who claims to love her more. She actually said if I did not back off she would make me the "LOVE" interest for Quinn in her story. I threw up a little in my mouth on that one. So from here on out I will have to talk in code. So if I say "I pickle my content editor" it means I love her. (LOL!)

BUT I will say this sassyvampmama is MINE! Back off or I will make you Compton's Love interest in a threesome with Quinn! Ha-Ha and again I say Ha-Ha.

**LAST TIME: "Eric, my bonded are you ready to go home?" I tossed all the questions I had out the window. I just wanted to go home and love my man all night.**

"**Yes Beloved. Come let's go." He said as I saw him truly come back into his own eyes.**

**Since he had flown to this macabre sight, I gathered him to me and popped us to the yard where I had left Pam about an hour ago and found quite a scene.**

**Pam was standing there with Bill, Jason, Sam, Calvin Norris and several Vampires. Some I knew others I did not. She looked relieved and then she looked pissed. VERY PISSED.**

**SPOV**

Pam looked like she was going to kill me as she stormed across the yard. Eric made no move to protect me so I could only assume she was not going to kill me.

"You fucking sneaky, little underhanded, tricky little…Do you have ANY idea how scared I was? I had to call **Bill fucking Compton **and ask him for help! Does that tell you anything Sookie?" she yelled as she latched on to my arms and shook me semi-violently. I could have defended myself. I could have used my power, but truth be told, I was owed what she was dishing out. I could feel the terror she had felt, but more than that, I could hear how scared she had been.

"I'm so sorry Pam…I had to go after him…I thought I was protecting you…" I tried to apologize, but she held up her hand and walked away from all of us. The amount of love and sorrow that was coming off her was reminiscent of how Eric had felt to me the night before last when he told me that he hurt too, even while he showered me with the same love I felt coming from Pam now. There were waves of fear falling off Pam even as she walked away. I was okay, so why did she still feel scared? She kept walking toward the kitchen and I knew that she was leaving because she wanted to cry but she refused to do it in front of the others. Speaking of the others, Eric was none too happy there were people in his home at all, but he understood why Pam had called them here. He spoke slowly,

"Underlings, you may go." He paused and looked to me, "Sookie, if you will be so kind to walk your brother and friends out to their vehicles, we need to attend to Pam." He nodded in the direction of Jason, Sam and Calvin.

"Of course, come on guys…" I took Jason and Sam by the hands and Calvin followed in behind us as we walked toward the front of the house.

"Sook, you okay? Pam was real worried." Jason asked with true concern in his voice, and the sound made me smile gently at him and say,

"Yes, I'm fine. There was a miscommunication when I left so she kinda thought Claudine had kidnapped me, but everything is fine. I'll smooth everything over with Pam. I promise, Jason. It's good to see you though, big brother." I smiled again as I hugged him.

"You too Sookie, I love you baby sister." He smiled at me as he kept his promise to me. It made me happy and I felt so full of happiness at our new relationship.

Sam was the next to speak up. "Well Sookie, you sure know how to throw a housewarming party. If you wanted a new toaster all you had to do was ask. You didn't have to stage a kidnapping for me to come by to see you." He grinned, his oh so sweet Sam smile and it made me giggle. I was feeling more and more like myself instead of the cold, cruel bitch I'd been just five minutes earlier.

"Thanks for dropping everything to come save me Sam. I know how busy it is at work and I'm so sorry for putting you in a bind." I smiled as I went to hug him. I heard a growl behind me. I didn't even look at Eric as I said "Stifle it, Eric." I saw Sam grin as he turned toward the door to leave.

"Calvin thanks for coming." I said, not really sure why he was there or if Pam had called him. He seemed to pick up on my confusion and said,

"Well somebody had to drive them. We were all at Merlotte's when the call came in and they just about killed themselves just getting out the door. I knew I could help track you so I offered to drive'em up here in my Jeep." he explained.

"Well, thanks for looking out for them and being willing to help me at the drop of a hat. You are a good man Calvin Norris. Gran always told me what a good man you were and now I see what she meant." I smiled at him and he smiled at the mention of Gran.

"Adele was a good woman. I'll always look out for you and this crazy brother of yours, Sookie." He laughed as he gripped Jason in a playful way by the neck. They walked out to the front yard and climbed into Calvin's Jeep and drove away. Calvin had been kind to Jason since his turning Were-Panther. I never asked but I kinda think he was like a sorta 'sponsor' to Jason in helping him with the transition to being two natured.

I was standing on the front porch waving to Jason, Calvin and Sam when I heard someone clear their throat. It was obvious it was done for my benefit to get my attention or to not scare me as they approached me. It was Bill. Great my night is now complete. I walked passed him into the foyer before he began to speak.

"Sookie, I am very glad you are well. Sookie I wanted to say that I am so very sorry for betraying you, but you must know that I came to love you…" OH hell no, he was not going there now…really? I interrupted him,

"NO! Bill Compton you do not EVER get to use that word with me again. YOU DARE stand there and speak to me of LOVE while you still reek of betrayal and lies? I curse the day you loved me! I rip you from my heart. I abjure you." I felt my hands burn, but I held back because even as mad as I was at him I couldn't bring myself to hurt him physically. I saw the red tears run down his face and I felt a stab of pain, but I could NOT find the forgiveness in my heart to take anything I had said back, but I did add,

"One day I might find the forgiveness in my heart to be your friend, but until then just know that I can't even look at you without wanting to throw up. I am sorry Bill, but you did this to yourself and no amount of remorse or love you feel now can take back what you did to me. You stole my innocence and broke my heart. Now you need to get out of my house." I wanted him to leave before Eric started in on him too.

"Of course my lady, I once again apologize and humbly wait for the day I might regain your friendship." He was a being such a gentleman and he was crying. Damn him, I was going to forgive him. Shit, I wanted to stay mad, but I knew suddenly it would only be a matter of time.

**EPOV**

I watched Sookie as she handled Bill Compton and she was glorious. She abjured him! I damn near fell down on the floor and laughed. She was always amazing me. When she told him to get out her house I felt joyful. I was not surprised that she had come for me earlier. I should have told her it was all part of my well thought out plan and that what happened was well orchestrated between me and Niall, but I wanted to keep her safe.

My plan for tonight basically broke down into three simple parts; One, prove that the treaty between my people and the Fae was not broken. Two, I was blood oathed to Niall to protect Sookie above all others in order to keep that treaty intact and last but not least number three, the first two parts of this now enabled me to call upon the Fae to protect Sookie without having to alert Sophie Anne. I now could go straight to Niall if there was a problem under the guise of keeping a century's old treaty between the vampires and faeries enacted. I knew that Sookie would call me high-handed and be furious with me. I wanted to explain it all to her but I knew we still had to deal with a VERY upset Pam who by now was bawling in the bedroom. But I knew we would get through it because we were a family. Sookie walked to me and hugged me as I cleared my head to hide my agenda from her. She smiled and asked,

"So how much trouble am I in with her?" totally ignoring the fact that she had just thrown Bill out of her life. She was worried about Pam.

"She is not mad. She is scared. She thinks I am going to punish her."

"What? Why? I tricked her. She didn't know I could pop, or that I contacted Claudine to take me. And even if she did help me there is no way in hell I'd let you punish her." she said as she stomped her little foot with a pout on her lips. I smirked at her as I said,

"Not for that, but for what she feels for you. I think I need to let her tell you, but you should be prepared for her reaction when we get down there. She is in quite the emotional state from what I am feeling through the bond." I tried to prepare her for what I felt through the bond with Pam.

"Okay then, let's get down there. I don't like the idea of her laying down there crying alone in the dark." she said as we began the trek down to my "bat lair."

When we got to the room Pam threw herself at my feet. She was sobbing and Sookie looked totally confused and a bit afraid.

"Master, please don't send me away. I didn't mean to do it. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to…" The red tears were falling and I gently pulled her up to me and kissed her forehead. Sookie looked desperate as she began to speak to Pam.

**SPOV**

"Pam, what's wrong? Please? I am so sorry… oh Pam, please tell me what to do." I could not stop crying and I could feel the pain roll off her. She clung to Eric's hand but she had slumped back on to the bed with her head down.

"I can't tell you." She refused to look up as she spoke to me. I don't think I have ever seen anyone this defeated and I was confused as to why she couldn't tell me what was wrong.

"Why?" I asked trying to understand.

"You'll be disappointed in me. You'll throw me away. You won't be my friend anymore." she sobbed and shook as she turned her head into Eric's hip and continued to cry. Eric stroked her hair and looked at me softly. He didn't say anything to me, but he gave me this look that said _'you have to work it out yourselves, I can't help.'_

"Pam, that's not true. What do you think you have done? Sweetie there is nothing you can do or say to me that can ever make me not be your friend. I love you honey." I attempted to soothe her, and Eric stayed strangely quiet yet again.

Pam looked to me and I nodded. Then she looked at me and whispered her deep secret, one that she herself had just realized earlier in the evening.

"I love you Sookie."

"I love you too Pam."

"No, Sookie, I love you. I am in love with you." She whispered before falling down on the bed crying.

I must have looked shocked for a moment, but then I said as I crawled into bed with her,

"What do you need Pam? I will do whatever you need. Whatever will make you stop hurting like this is what I will do." I knew in that moment I would do whatever she asked of me. My hands glowed and I gently stoked her hair and back. Eric still stayed silent, but he too stroked her hair. She looked up at me incredulously,

"You would, wouldn't you? You would make love to me even though you are not attracted to me sexually. You would make love to me to stop my pain." Pam said in disbelief.

"Yes, I think I would." I said with a smile and then paused for a moment the suddenly I realized what was really going on,

"Pam, I don't doubt that you love me, but I don't think you are IN love with me either. You love that you can love again. You love that I make you feel. Ask yourself, are you really attracted to me, sexually? I'm not exactly your type. You are a petite brunette lovin' kinda girl."I said remembering a Natalie Portman conversation we had once long ago and I smiled as I tried to lighten her mood. She smiled back at me as I continued to explain.

"My bond with Eric, the new connection that he and I have, is responsible for this Pam. You are feeling how Eric loves me through your child/maker bond, but our," I said as I motioned between Eric and I, "connection is bleeding through onto your emotions. Think about it, before tonight had you ever want to make love to me, not just mess around and make out with me cause we know how you are, I mean make love to me?" I asked gently teasing her while making my point at the same time.

"NO, tonight was the first time I felt like I was **IN** love with you." she admitted.

I turned to Eric and said, "Beloved, can you shield yourself from her for a moment?"

"Of course." he replied. He was being far too complacent. I could not believe he was being so calm about all this, but to his credit he was handling everything very well.

"Pam, how do you feel about me now?" I inquired quietly as she slowly closed and opened her eyes.

"I love you, but I no longer wish to make love to you. I feel as I did before, like you are my best friend. Oh, that **is** a relief." She sighed heavily before adding,

"No offense Sookie, but fighting my master to the death was not on my 'to do list'." She turned and smiled that sweet smile at Eric that only he gets from her as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

"I am sorry, master. I understand if you must punish me for my feelings." She whispered as if she thought I would not hear, but I did and before I could respond Eric did.

"Pam, there will be no punishment; this is not your fault. Everything is good between us." He smiled his sweet smile back at her and I felt the relief rush into the room.

"Master, you are taking my betrayal in stride, why?" Pam commented on what I was thinking.

**EPOV**

She thought she had betrayed me. She came to me, told me the truth and did not act on her own heart's desire, but still she felt she betrayed me for something that was clearly not her fault. Sometimes I forgot how truly loyal my child was to me. I guess that in her mind this was a betrayal. I would have to help her see it was not.

"You did not betray me. You came to me with truth and love in your heart. You confessed your deepest secrets to me even though you were terrified. You did not talk to Sookie behind my back. You trusted me with your life for the second time in your existence and I have never loved you more than I do right now." I smiled as I cuddled her to me. She was crying again. Sookie came to us and pulled us into her embrace on the bed all together.

Sookie stroked my cheek as she asked, "So are you mad at me? I did offer to sleep with your progeny." She grinned her crooked little smile at me and made both of us laugh with her.

"To be honest Sookie, Pam is the only vampire I would ever share you with anyway. Then add to the matter that you are both gorgeous women and with any luck I would have been invite to play along with you two so, it was really a win – win for me." I had tried to keep my voice neutral, but they both knew I was full of it and it was not long before I got hit in the head with a bevy of pillows.

"Eric you are so full of crap! The day you share her with anyone is the day I quit wearing couture and start shopping for all my clothes at Wal-Mart." Pam bellowed before she paused and asked, "So this bond you two have, it is unlike any other bond I've ever seen. It is odd. How does it work?"

"Our minds shift into one another's and we have access to each other's memories and knowledge. It is hard to explain. Perhaps we can show you." I paused as I turned to my bonded and asked,

"Sookie, do you think we can use my bond with Pam to link her with us? It would seem she is linked closer to me now than before, just by her being able to feel my love for you." I tried to quantify why I thought it was possible for Sookie and I to show Pam how our mind shift worked.

"Yes, I think it can and I think I know how to do it. Eric, I want you to open up your shields to just me and let me in to your bond with Pam. Then we will open up all our shields as we slowly allow Pam in and I think that will work." As she explained I thought how lucky it was that Sookie had been a telepath her whole life and that she had some idea how to work through the new metaphysical situations we seemed to be finding ourselves in these days.

"Sookie what should we show her? I think we should limit it to one thought right now as to not overwhelm her." I explained.

"Let's show her what we first showed each other, the night we met and then we will see if we can see into her mind and view her perspective of the night." Sookie advised.

"You know,' SHE' is sitting right here and I am starving, so can we get this show on the road?" Pam barked and just like that my bratty little child was back.

Sookie and I opened our minds to each other and relived our first meeting as we slowly opened our bond and I pulled Pam into our maker/child bond. I watched Pam's eyes open wide as she gasped and I knew she was seeing what we saw. After a moment or two Sookie took Pam's hand and whispered,

"What did you see that night?" Pam closed her eyes as Sookie talked and suddenly I could see what she had seen the first time we all met.

'_She is beautiful. What is she doing with that douche Bill Compton? Oh Hell, look at the way Eric is looking at her. This is not going to end well. Why is she not responding to Eric's glamour? What is she saying to Eric? Did she really just say "I'm pleased to meet you" to him? What the hell is he going to say to that? "Well, aren't you sweet." OH God, he did not say that and look at her, she is not backing down. She's about to come out with something good, I can feel it. "Not particularly." She is a feisty little one! Oh she is going to be fun! Oh the look on the douche's face is classic and Eric doesn't know if he should laugh or be pissed. This is great!'_

"Oh Pammy, you thought I was pretty! " Sookie giggled overlooking the rest of Pam's commentary and only commenting on the beginning.

"I love you Sookie but you really do have to STOP calling me Pammy and yes, I thought you were very pretty and you still are. I would not kick you out of my bed." She rolled her eyes as she finished her statement.

"Why do you hate Bill?" Sookie asked.

"I have only begun to hate Bill recently, before that he was just a tool that annoyed me to no end." she advised. I tried to explain our hatred of Bill without giving too much away, but I had a feeling I was about to have to let a HUGE cat out of the bag to Sookie.

"Sookie you have to understand, Bill is not OUR kind of vampire. He is seen as a poser. He pretends to be something he is not. If he truly was a mainstreamer and did not drink human blood I could respect that, not understand it, but respect it. However, Bill is not a mainstreamer, he is a known buyer of 'street donors' and…" I tried to say the last part quickly but she caught it and commented.

"What do you mean 'buyer of street donors'?" she asked and I paused to look at Pam for help hoping she would have a way to sugar coat the explanation, but Pam being Pam would not allow for that as she very bluntly stated the truth.

"They are prostitutes. They sell their blood to the highest bidder. They're different than fangbangers and regular donors that go to the blood banks. They sell sex and blood to vampires." Sookie stared at Pam for a moment like she was processing the information. I was wishing Pam had said it more gently or worded it differently, but I guess that the way Pam said it was really the best way to go about it.

"Did he do this while he and I were together?" she yelled.

"I have no proof, but I suspect that he did." I admitted.

"Great, like I needed another reason to hate Bill Compton! I should have known when he ordered "room service" in Dallas that he was a lying douche bag." she exclaimed. I attempted to tap down my anger as I asked for clarification.

"He ordered a donor and drank from them in your presence?" I was incensed. I knew she could feel my anger.

"Yes, well no, he ordered them and I waited in the bedroom while they were in the living room suite of our hotel room. It hurt me then, but I trusted his reasoning. Hell I trusted everything he ever said to me back then." she said with some sense of shame attached to her voice. I made a mental note to make sure Bill paid a price for that indiscretion. She may not have been mine when he did this, but it was a great disrespect that he had paid her.

"What he did was wrong Lover. You should've never been subjected to that situation. I'm so sorry he hurt you in so many ways. He never deserved you." I swear I felt my heart ache for her. Pam sensed the tension and tried to lighten the mood.

"I'm sorry your first boyfriend was an idiot Sookie, but you have the best one in the world now." Pam smiled.

The sad look on Sookie's face disappeared as she began to laugh and couldn't stop. I looked at her and asked,

"Lover what is it? What is so funny?" I thought for a moment the night had caught up with her and she was about to cry but was surprised when she answered,

"Pam just called you my boyfriend and something about her calling a vampire over 1000 years old my boyfriend just sorta cracked me up." And then she laughed until she cried. Pam looked at her like the RCA dog with her head tilted to one side.

"Humans are weird and I now believe that faeries are weirder. Oh well, now that I know you two have dragged me into your weird metaphysical bond, I am going to go home. I am taking the rest of the night off; I'm too young for this shit. We had to close Fangtasia anyway when I had to call EVERY vampire I know here to look for the AWOL fairy." She said with her head inclined to Sookie. I stood up with Pam and hugged her and said,

"You are a brat, but you are my brat and I love you." I smiled as I watched Sookie climb off the bed and take Pam in her arms to hug her. Sookie rose up on her toes and kissed Pam gently on the lips. It surprised Pam and made me smile.

"I love you Pam and I am glad you are my best friend." Sookie smiled and hugged Pam before she lay back down on the bed. Pam looked at me and smiled saying,

"I am glad you are my maker and I do love you even if you are clueless…."she laughed as she walked toward the door before adding, "and please remember to buy Hot Rain a goat! I do NOT want to talk to that asshat again!" and with that she was gone.

I turned back to look at my angel lying on the bed nearly asleep and I felt an evil smile spread across my face as I remembered my promise to her.

"Oh no little fairy, you have to beg to go to sleep remember?" I growled in her ear and she smiled with her eyes closed.

I took my hand and trailed it slowly down her stomach to her thighs. I spread her legs open and pressed my face to her crotch. She was still dressed in her skin tight jeans, but I could smell her arousal through them.

"Tell me Sookie, tell me what you want?" Her response shocked me.

"Your blood, I want to drink from you and want you inside me when I do it. I need you." That was all it took for me to strip myself and then to strip her clothing from her body almost violently. She wrapped her arms around me and bit my chest. While she drank from me I reached between us to check her readiness and was relieved to find her soaking wet. I slammed into her and she screamed my name. I pulled her up into our favorite position, my legs wrapped around her backside so that she could sit with my legs underneath her while she wrapped her legs around my waist. This puts her at the perfect position for kissing and looking into each other's eyes.

"Eric, please touch me, touch my… oh please. It feels so good when you make love to me and touch me there too, please..." She was so perfect, so innocent. She couldn't even say the word 'clit'. It made me smile. I brought my hand between us and began to rub her slowly in a circle. Then I rubbed it back and forth as I continued to thrust into her and she was meeting every thrust. She was arching her back and pushing up to me and my only thought was that I loved this sweet creature so much. She had saved me yet again and then she healed my child's pain. Is there anything she can't do? Oh yes, she can't talk dirty, it embarrasses her. I love it. I felt her drop her mouth to my neck and she bite me again. God, she** is **Valhalla!

"I love you Sookie. I love you!" I pressed hard on her throbbing little nub and brought her hard as I drank from her neck and then I came with a warriors scream. I sat there holding her and I rocked her for a moment before looking at her and softly saying what had been on my heart since she first popped into the meeting room, demanded my freedom and claimed me as her own,

"You came to save me. You claimed me as your own. Sookie, you came for me."

"I will not run, I will not leave. Your enemies are my enemies no matter who they are to me, and if they mean to harm you I will come, I will always come." She whispered as she stroked my hair while the glow in the room brightened.

"Sookie, you revealed yourself to Breandan. He will be ready for you next time. He saw your power. We all felt it; it rolled throughout the entire room." I said with worry and concern.

She glowed as she stroked my back and said. "He felt what I let him feel. My power has yet to be fully revealed, so rest easy my sweet Viking, rest so very easy." Her voice had changed to that deep dark voice that resonated with her power, and somehow sounds familiar to me. How odd.

**A/N: Soooo what do you think? Questions, Comments, Concerns? Just remember all will be answered in time. I think, or I hope or well if I get too lost Sassy will reel me back in so have faith! Haha! As always I own nothing except a lot of left over Halloween candy! HUGS**


	12. Chapter 12  Body, Soul and Mind

Chapter 12 – Body, Soul and Mind

A/N: I own nothing! CH owns it all, including my heart I love my Beta's they rock and roll! The wonderful sassyvampmama and the sweet kjwrit, just to remind you, they are MINE! (Insert Eric growl here)

I just want to congratulate my buddy SVMFAN1 on her fantastic story "Growing up for Love." I am soooo proud of her! I feel like a proud mama bird!

**LAST TIME: EPOV**

"**You came to save me. You claimed me as your own. Sookie, you came for me."**

"**I will not run, I will not leave. Your enemies are my enemies no matter who they are to me, if they mean to harm you I will come, I will always come." She whispered as she stroked my hair.**

"**Sookie, you revealed yourself to Breandan. He will be ready for you next time. He saw your power. We all felt it; it rolled throughout the entire room." I said with worry and concern.**

**She glowed as she stroked my back and said. "He felt what I let him feel. My power has yet to be fully revealed, rest easy my sweet Viking rest so very easy." Her voice had change to that deep dark voice that resonated with her power, and somehow sounds familiar to me. How odd. **

**EPOV**

'How odd' was my last thought before I felt the pull of the sun and knew it was time for me to go to rest. It was almost dawn there was no time to question Sookie as to what she meant or how she feels when her voice changes like that so I simply went with what there was time for,

"I love you, Sookie. I will see you when I rise tonight." I whispered.

**SPOV**

I felt groggy, weak and my head ached. Claudine had warned me I would feel this way since I had called on powers I had no real control over yet, not to mention that I had wielded Fae magic that only a full blood Fae can usually use. Claudine had explained to me how to access my power so I practiced pulling it to me several times before I left for the meeting to save Eric. Claudine was amazed by the power she felt coming from me. It was a strange magic in the way it felt; I can only compare it to how I can channel Eric's thoughts and knowledge. The power and the feeling associated with it was akin to that; I just suddenly knew how to use it, and I rolled the room with my magic and my power. I had held back though, once there. In the heat of the moment something inside me told me to hold back, it was like a soft voice gently guiding me. I vaguely remembered that I spoke to Eric about that very fact last night. I rolled to my left to attempt to get out of the bed, but as always I had to pry myself loose from Eric.

I had to run to the bathroom as usual, and as usual, I barely made it. The shower was absolute heaven and I only got out because my tummy was growling at me. I was starving. I pulled myself into Eric's closet to look for a t-shirt to wear when I noticed he had moved all my clothes in there with his. I had no idea when he had time to do that, but it made me smile and once again think 'nice touch Viking.' He had no idea what those little acts meant to me. I needed to tell him tonight what it had meant to me when I saw that he had decorated the room downstairs like mine at home, the cell phone charger he had put next to his like it belonged there and now this, he hung all the clothes and made room for me in his very manly closet. The pinks and pastels of all the clothes Pam had bought me stood out in contrast to all of his dark denim, black t-shirts and dark suits. I saw one suit that was a light color, it was grey pinstripe and there were a couple sweaters that weren't dark. One was powder blue and one was an odd color of yellow that I can't really remember seeing before but it was beautiful. On a whole, everything he owned to wear was black, navy, crimson and deep tans.

My stomach growled and reminded me that I needed to get to the kitchen and eat something pronto. I pulled out a gorgeous white blouse with little red flowers on it and coupled it with a pair of sexy low riders. As I looked at the blouse it reminded me of the dress I wore the first night I ever saw my Viking. The memory quickly ran through my mind as I thought of Bill's words _"…he is the oldest thing in this bar….they__** say **__that sex with the Viking is quite memorable…"_ Why the hell had he said that to me?

I then saw a pair of sexy red kitten heeled Prada shoes with a peek-a-boo toe and I just could not resist. Pam was bringing me over to the dark side of couture, even though the clothes and shoes I had on probably cost more than I made in a week at Merlotte's. I checked my reflection and decided I would get dolled up for Eric after I ate. I knew that Pam had bought me toiletries so I would finally be able to take advantage of them. I kissed Eric as I passed the bed and saw that it was 3:37 in the afternoon. WOW, I was already keeping vampire hours and I hadn't even been turned yet.

I left the "bat cave" and went straight to the kitchen. I was snacking as I looked for what I was going to eat. While munching on bread, cheese and leftovers I suddenly realized we have Co-Co Pebbles! When I saw the box on the top of the fridge I squealed and clapped my hands like a little girl! So I had my favorite cereal with chocolate milk, toast and orange juice. I was one happy girl. By 4:15 I was back in the bat cave getting ready to surprise Eric. I heard him rise at 4:40 and I felt through our bond that he was not happy that I was not in bed with him and even less so when he found the bathroom door locked.

"Sookie, why is the door to MY bathroom locked?" he growled.

"I love how this house is yours when it suits you Viking." I said in a less than thrilled tone.

"Forgive my dearest sweet angel; of course it is OUR home. What I meant to say was; Sookie why is what is MINE locked behind a door. You are mine and I wish to have you now." God he is so damn sexy when he growls like that.

"I'm trying to surprise you. Go up stairs, have a blood and wait for me in the kitchen." I demanded, but with a lilt in my voice that let him know I was going to make it worth his while.

"Alright Lover, I will let you have your little surprise. I will wait for you upstairs. I love you." He said sweetly.

"I love you too baby, I'm almost done." I advised him. I knew better than to put my hair up. I wanted to go out with him, but I knew chances were we would have sex before we left and an up-do wouldn't survive the Viking. I curled my hair and left it flowing down my back and applied just a touch of makeup. I almost didn't recognize the woman that looked back at me in the mirror. She was sexy, confident and powerful. Everything I had always wanted to be but had never been is what I now was. I smiled and turned to go find the man I love. Love, our love, I could feel a strong sense of love, swimming around me and through me as if it were from within our bond. I could touch it and hold on to it when I closed my eyes and looked at it in my mind. It was like an element of my very being. It was as if it were not here, I wouldn't be here either. It was now a vital part of my soul, body and mind.

**EPOV**

I awoke for the second night in a row without Sookie in my arms, but unlike last night when I rose she felt sad, tonight she was full of happiness and excitement. My little fairy was up to something. The first couple of nights I had risen with her in my arms and I must say I did prefer that, but if she was doing something that was making her this happy I could not complain. I could hear her and feel her even without the bond which let me know she was here with me. She was in the bathroom. I threw back the blankets to the bed and strode to the door ready to claim my prize, but when I went to turn the doorknob it was locked. I was less than pleased. It was one thing to wake without her in my arms but to now be denied access to her, to what was mind caused my mind to whirl with curiosity. Well, little fairy what are you up to?

"Sookie, why is the door to MY bathroom locked?" I demanded.

"I love how this house is yours when it suits you Viking." she said in a tone that reminded me I kept telling her that this was _our_ home, and that I had on some level just insulted her. I would make it up to her later and I knew exactly how I would do it too. I smiled at that thought before saying,

"Forgive my dearest sweet angel of course it is OUR home. What I meant to say was; Sookie why is what is MINE locked behind a door? You are mine and I wish to have you now." I knew she was aroused and whatever she was doing was for my benefit. I could smell her arousal and feel her desire. The lust and love swimming around me was thick and so real I felt I could reach out and touch it.

"I'm going to surprise you. Go up stairs, have a blood and wait for me in the kitchen." She demanded, but with a lilt in her voice that let me know she was going to make it worth my while.

"Alright Lover, I will let you have your little surprise. I will wait for you. I love you." I relented and gave in to her little whim.

"I love you too baby, I'm almost done." She replied. I am sure with the exception of my mother, Sookie is the only person who has ever dared call me 'baby' to my face.

I went upstairs to the kitchen. It was spotless, but I could smell human food. _'Good, she was eating.'_ I thought to myself. It was then I was answered by Sookie in my mind.

'_Yes, __**she**__ was eating. I loved the Co-Co Pebbles, thanks baby. I'll be right up!' _she giggled right before she threw up her shields. She didn't want to ruin her surprise she had worked so hard on for me.

I warmed up a blood for myself and drank it down while waiting on my love. My love, my Sookie, was my everything. I can feel our love swimming between us. It is part of me, part of my very soul. I had always been unsure if I still had my soul since I was turned, but now I know that I do, because of our love. Suddenly I had this strange 'knowing' sensation creep into my consciousness telling me that our love was an element of my very being. It was as if it were not here I would not be either. It was part of my soul, body and mind, but it was more than just that. It was now our soul, our body and our mind. We were truly one and it was because of the love, bond and covenant that lay between us. I was lost in thought when I heard her voice behind me,

"I'll give you a penny for your thoughts?" The first thing I saw was the way she smiled a wicked smile as I turned to look at her, the Goddess that was my entire world.

"Lover, you are so beautiful. I have to have you" I said as I walked to her and gently touched her face.

"Well thank you, but I'm bonded to this really powerful vampire. He is the Sheriff of Area 5, maybe you have heard of him?" She giggled as she grinned my own damn smirk at me.

"I think I know who he is. Tell me more of this vampire. Does he please you and treat you like the queen that you are?" I asked as I pulled her to me and smiled.

"Yes, he does, and I love him very much. He's always doing these sweet things for me. For example, he bought me a charger for my cell phone, he decorated a room to make me feel at home and he hung up all of the clothes that he bought for me in his closet. He's really sweet like that. He owns this really cool vampire bar called Fangtasia and I'm going there with him tonight. I have been **really **needy the past few nights and I think he may need to go check in, so I thought I would dress up for him and go with him." She explained.

"Lover, you do not have to do this. I can take time off and Pam can easily handle anything that comes up. After the night you had last night don't you want to stay in and take it easy?" I asked.

"Eric, I want to go. I want all those girls to know that YOU ARE MINE." She growled and grinned all at the same time. She then giggled as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Well Sookie, I would love to take you there and show you off. Would that be alright? Would it upset you if I claimed you as mine and as my bonded in front of my vampires?" I asked with hesitation.

"Of course not, I am yours and I am your bonded. However you want to handle it baby is fine with me I just really wanna go out for something other than an armed hostage takeover of the fairy realm." She smiled.

"Then out we shall go." I said and almost let the last of her statement go, but I could not, so I asked,

"Sookie, what did you mean 'takeover of the fairy realm'?" I waited on her to answer me

"I would have gone to any length to bring you home last night that's all. But tonight I want to go out and have fun! Let's go celebrate and have fun! Remember FUN? We like to have fun and laugh together so come on let's go!" she explained her desires to me in such a way that I understood her need to be around people. She had told me once she had to be around people every day or it was hard on her to block out thoughts. I doubted that would be a problem anymore.

"Sookie, I want you to very carefully see if you can read other vampires tonight other than Pam, but tell no one." I said very seriously and she simply nodded in response. Then, I gently took her in my arms and whispered,

"I promise to be gentle; let me love you." I kissed her ear and lifted her into my arms and walked to what I will always consider to be 'her' bedroom. I had it made with her in mind. A place for her to be able to use during the day while I rest, but as it is we will forever share a bedroom and that is fine by me. She was rubbing her face on my chest. I love it when she does this and as I carried her I whispered once again,

"That is right little one, scent me, mark me as yours. I love it when you do that Sookie. I love your scent on me and when you claim me as yours. I love you so much." She did not respond to my plea with words but with actions; she continued to rub herself on me and it felt like heaven.

When we reached the bedroom, I sat her on the bed and took off her fuck me heels first. Then I took off her blouse and bra only stopping to place a sweet kiss between her breasts. I unbuttoned her jeans and reached to grasp not only the waist line to the jeans but that of her panties as well. I had her body bare before me and I could not speak for a moment. I dropped to my knees before her and damn near wept.

"I love you so much. Oh, Sookie… you are…" I was overcome with emotions as she gently raised my head to look at her. I saw the love in her eyes and her soft smile nearly did me in as I was close to tears again.

"Eric, I know baby, I know." That was all she said and that was all that needed to be said. She ran her hands over my bare shoulders as I had never put a shirt on and was only wearing a pair of jeans. She leaned forward and unbuttoned my jeans as she motioned for me to stand. She pushed the jeans down as she took my length in her hands. She stroked me and I threw my head back as I moaned in pleasure. I bucked in her hands and just enjoyed the sensation for a few moments before I dropped to my knees and kissed along her inner thighs. I kissed her sex gently, licking and sucking while I heard her moan in approval. I looked up to find she was watching my every move and I murmured into her warm center, "God that is so damn hot." I continued with my mission and felt her release as she called my name.

She pulled at me and whispered,

"Please Eric love me now. Please I need you to be inside of me now." It was in the way she said it. I couldn't explain it, but I knew she physically and emotionally needed to be connected to me. I understood on some level what was happening to us, but at the same time I simply couldn't comprehend the depth of our love and what it truly meant. It actually frightened me how much I loved and needed her. As I slid into her, I looked at her in the eyes and promised,

"I will love you every night of our existence. You will never wonder if you are truly loved because I will show you and tell you every night. My sweet lover…" I lost my words and ability to speak as we made love nice and slow. We clung to each other and she reached her final climax right before me. Her walls clinching around me brought me hard. She looked at me very thoughtfully and said,

"I love you Eric. You are my, everything and I want to build a life with you. I want to come home and tell you about my day. I want to go with you to Fangtasia and help you with liquor orders and invoices. I want to go on vacations with you and fuss at you for not asking directions. I want a life with you, and for the first time ever, I know we are going to have that. We are going to have a normal life." She smiled and paused as she giggled the last, "Well normal for us anyway."

"I love you Sookie. We will make a "normal" life for ourselves and we will have a happy existence." We lay like that for a while before I asked,

"Are you serious about helping me with the invoices at Fangtasia?" I asked with a raised eyebrow and a plan.

"Yes. Why are you looking at me that way?" she asked suspicious of me.

"Well, I was just thinking, if you worked for me and helped me at Fangtasia I could put you on the group health insurance and the company payroll." I wait for the shouting to start but none came as she said,

"What do you pay an hour?" I looked to see if she was joking, but she was serious.

"I would pay an office manager a salary not an hourly wage. I would pay $64,000 a year plus health insurance and then there are the fringe benefits you would receive as well." I grinned, thinking of the fringe benefits I had in mind and knowing that I would benefit from them as well.

"You'll pay me $64,000 a year for doing invoices? Eric….you can't be serious…" I cut her off.

"Sookie, whoever I hire, that is the set salary. I would prefer to hire you and you take the salary. There is A LOT more to the job than invoices. I could show you tonight and you could decide for yourself." I offered.

"Okay, that would be great and I could save money so one day I can have my dream job." She giggled.

"What is your dream job lover?" I asked softly.

"You'll laugh." She tilted her head down but looked up at me with just her eyes. I loved it when she does that shy innocent girl thing with me.

"No, I will not. Tell me." I smiled a warm smile to let her know I was sincere.

"I want to own and operate a flower shop and greenery." She said it fast and looked down at her hand before she continued. "I want to plant and grow my own plants and flowers and then also have a floral shop on the premises as well. It was something Gran and I always talked about doing together."

"Then that is what you shall have. I will help you Lover. You can save the money from your salary as you stated or I will give you the start up money. I believe in you and I would like to invest in your business." I smiled and she threw her arms around my neck and cooed,

"Oh Eric, that means so much that you would do that. But I'm not quite ready yet so I think I'll do my research first and save my money. Not to mention I'll be able to watch you and how you run a business so that should help train me to run mine, right?" she babbled at me.

"Yes Sookie that is a very good plan. I am proud of you. SO, if we are going to get any work done tonight we need to get up and get dressed. I have to get dressed to enthrall the vermin." I said with a ting of distain in my voice.

"Okay, let's go get cleaned up and Eric can you do me a favor?" she asked innocently and that should have been my first clue she was about to come out with something like a vixen.

"Sure Sookie, what do you need?" I asked.

"Wear the black leather pants with the dragon belt buckle and the black vest. I kinda have a fantasy that involves that outfit, your throne, your desk and me being a very bad girl!" she laughed a very seductive laugh as she walked out of the bedroom and toward the elevator. I held the bridge of my nose as I shook my head smiling and thought _'she will never cease to amaze me.'_

**SPOV**

We finally arrived at Fangtasia around 9pm. We ran several errands and Eric decided that I _'had to eat something proper'_ because apparently Co-Co Pebbles didn't live up to his idea of a proper meal. I was happy to see that Belinda was back at work. She was filling up the napkin dispensers and I almost went over to help her out of habit. I stopped short when I saw Belinda reach for a stack of napkins across the table from her and she winced. I wondered what was wrong with her, but before I could ask Pam walked up and hugged me hello.

"Hello, my little telepathic friend, how are you feeling this evening?" She grinned. Eric kissed my cheek nodded at Pam and sent me a mental _'I'll be right back Lover'_ before walking toward his office.

"I'm fine Pam how are you doing tonight?" before she could answer Belinda walked up with a bottle of warmed blood and handed it to Pam. She spoke softly with a smile and had a look in her eyes that I couldn't help but recognize; Belinda had a thing for Pam.

"Mistress, would you like a True Blood, it's an A negative and I just warmed it up for you." She said somewhat shyly.

"Yes, thank you." Pam answering Belinda kinda surprised me. Normally she would ignore humans or wave them off, but she actually acknowledged Belinda. Pam watched Belinda walk away, but not in her normal leering kind of way; it was a look of being interested in what she saw. Belinda really was a beautiful girl - very unlike the fangbangers who normally work here. She was nothing like Ginger had been. Ginger died last month in the witch war. I was the one that had found her body, but that is a whole other story. Belinda had been gravely injured, but had pulled through. She was about my height with a much more slender build. She was a tiny thing with a mop of long, wavy brown hair and big brown doe eyes that were soft and innocent.

Belinda had handed the blood to Pam and then walked away slowly. I was beginning to thinks she was walking so gingerly for a reason and I thought she might have been feeling the effects of her prior injuries. I had always prided myself on not dipping into other people's minds, but the way she winced as she sat down had me a little worried. Then she looked at Pam and seemed so lost in thought that I immediately closed my eyes and just listened. Within moments I was horrified at what I found and I quickly sent for Eric. When he emerged from his office I sat down in between him and Pam and held both of their hands so they could hear and see what I had just found out.

**A/N: I had the first part of the next chapter here but it just made the chapter way too long. I had to move some things around and I hope that you understand I had to leave you with yet another cliffy. Sorry, but now on to the questions, what did Sookie see? Why is Belinda in pain? Why does Pam seem to care? Dum dum dum… Review and you might get a sneaky peaky! HUGS **


	13. Chapter 13  A Family and A Fight

**Chapter 13 – A Family and A Fight **

**A/N: I am posting a day early. Don't get used to it..haha! I was sick in bed and this was all I had to work on. Love you my little minions, enjoy! & **

**Guys remember if you have not read "Before Remembering" you will not understand some of the Keillen references. I suggest you read that story, but will in short tell you that Keillen was Pam's bonded and her first taste of love. I own nothing; my beloved CH owns it all and I adore her! I love my Beta sassyvampmama and I "pickle" (wink- wink, talking in code here) my content editor the lovely and talented kjwrit. Hopefully that will keep a certain makesmyheadspin from making me Quinn's (I gag) love interest. (I threw up a little in my mouth at the thought.)**

**LAST TIME: SPOV**

**Belinda handed the blood to Pam and walked away slowly. I was beginning to thinks she was walking gingerly for a reason. I thought she might be injured. I had always prided myself on not dipping into other people's minds, but the way she sat down and winced as she sat had worried me. Then she looked at Pam and seemed so lost in thought. I closed my eyes and just listened and in moments I was horrified at what I found. I quickly sent for Eric and when he emerged from his office I sat down in between him and Pam and held both their hands so they could hear and see what I had found.**

**BPOV (Belinda)**

As I looked at Pam I thought to myself _'If she knew how he hurts me, I wonder if she would save me? I wonder if she knows that the only time I have ever been touched gently it was by her? Does she know she is the only vampire I have ever fed? Oh God, what I wouldn't give to feel her hold me just once more. I can't do this anymore. Tonight, this has to be it I just can't live like this anymore. I don't want to use a gun and I don't have any drugs to overdose on so I guess that leaves a razor. I can run a hot bath and just….I am so lost. Oh God, Pam, please read my mind and just realize how much I need you. But why would she ever want someone like me? Look at her she is so beautiful, smart and powerful. Why would she ever give me a second glance? That night was just a onetime thing, she was hungry and I fed her. That was all it meant to her. He's right; I am worthless.'_ I ended my self-loathing moment and got back to work.

I knew that before I killed myself or ran again, I had to let Pam and Eric know that Joe, the man I used to call my boyfriend had joined up with FOTS, started asking me question about them. They needed to know not only that, but about the empty vials too. I had to tell her about the vials. At first, I thought that he was hooked on V, but they were clean vials. It was then that I realized he was most likely a drainer.

He wanted to know about Pam and Eric's schedules because he wanted to drain them. I laughed at the thought at first. I mean, really let the dumbass try to go after Northman and he will finally get what he was due. But Pam, I couldn't risk Pam. I'm sure she could take him, but not if he brought his friends. No, I couldn't risk her safety. When I found the vials this afternoon, I asked him point blank about them, and that's what brought on the latest beating. I confronted him about being a drainer and he did not deny it, but got pissed when I broke the vials. He told me that would not stop him from killing Pam and Eric. Then he beat the hell out of me and burned me with my curling iron.

He only hits and burns me where you can't see the marks. And the reason for that was, God forbid I missed work and he missed out on my paycheck. The burn on my stomach was what hurt so bad tonight. Maybe I wouldn't use a razor. It went through my mind that he had to sleep sometime, and I then had my plan; I would chain him to the bed and burn the damn house down with us in it. He would never get his hands on my Pam. I looked back to see where Pam was and what she was doing. That was when I saw her look at me so softly and it made the tears in my eyes that had threatened to fall all night finally break free. That look was everything I needed, that look was the first glimpse of hope I had received in a very long time. She was holding Sookie's hand one moment and the next she was in front of me. She took me in her arms and cradled me against her and as she did the thought came to my mind _'Home, she feels like home.'_

**PPOV**

I had been with Belinda about 2 months ago while Eric had been in Jackson with Sookie, saving the douche. I was hungry, she offered and that was how it started. It was supposed to just be a feed, but I started having these strange feelings for her and now that I knew what was happening with her I felt a strong pull towards her. That night, when she first fed me, I remembered a promise Keillen had made me the night she died, but it could not be, it just could not be. Belinda and I hadn't had sex, just some heavy petting. She was an incredible kisser, and the way she held me and ran her fingers through my hair made me fantasize about her several times recently, including last night. I was enamored with her. She had always been beautiful to me, but now that I knew what was happening with her and what she was willing to do to save me; I couldn't stop myself from wanting to take her in my arms and hold her. I let go of Sookie's hand and flew to her side. I gently took her in my arms and whispered,

"Belinda, everything will be alright. No one will ever hurt you again. I want you to stay here until I return."My mind was in overdrive as I nodded to Eric. He knew what I was thinking and he called out to my mind,

'_Take Thalia and Clancy with you Pam; and Pam make sure there are NO witnesses'_ I nodded. Belinda seemed like she did not exactly know what was going on, so I kissed her soft lips and whispered,

"I want you to rest." I said softly as I brushed the hair from her eyes. "Go in my office and lay down while I am gone. Then we will go home when I return, and I will heal all of your burn marks and bruises." She looked embarrassed by this statement, but when I kissed her lips again I added,

"Belinda, you have done nothing wrong and nothing to deserve this. It ends tonight! There will be no more beatings and no more pain in your future my sweet girl." I kissed her forehead and she sniffed and nodded as she said,

"Thank you Pam, please don't let me go yet. It feels so good when you hold me, so safe. Please just one. more. minute…" She clung to me and didn't have a clue what I was about to do, but maybe it was better that way. I held her as she cried.

**SPOV**

Thalia, Clancy and Pam where preparing to leave when I took that moment to see if I could read either Thalia or Clancy. I could hear them as clearly as I can hear a human. Clancy was thinking about how tired he was of protecting humans for Eric, but Thalia was sympathetic to Belinda's plight. She even went so far as to check on Belinda before she left with Pam and Clancy. While I was in Thalia's mind I saw that she too had been abused as a young girl by an older clan member. Pam gave one last look to Belinda and then to me as she smiled at me. I sent her a mental note _'I'll take care of her until you get back. Pam, be careful okay?'_ She was still smiling at me and said out loud,

"I will see you soon my telepathic friend and don't worry, remember there is nothing better than a good fight." I nodded and walked to Eric and as I looked into his eyes I said from my mind to his,

'_Will she really be okay? Do we need to go too?' H_e simply shook his head no as he walked to Pam and pressed his forehead to hers and whispered.

"Remember all that I have taught you. Watch your back, remember to cross back and go over your tracks, circle your area to be sure it's a good time to attack, and if you need me you call me. If he is not alone, if there are more than five you are NOT to engage without me. I shall be VERY cross if you are injured. Do you understand?" he asked.

"Yes Master. I will return shortly." She smiled a toothy grin and he smiled back. In the past this would have freaked me out or I would have worried about the human lives about to be lost but right now all I could worry about was my family.

Eric returned to hold me as if to comfort me. We stood there in each other's arms before I asked him,

"Do you need me to call in other employees for you or do you need me to work the door? There is a huge line forming outside Eric. What do you need me to do?" I asked, halfway panicking at the amount of people outside and the lack of staff inside.

"I will call in the extra staff and I will bartend, if you will be so kind to work the door, my darling Lover. We can do this Sookie. Consider it a crash course in business management." He smiled, winked at me and the called the remaining waitress and staff to him.

"We will be short handed when we open, so I expect all of you to pitch in and help in all areas. You will do what must be done, even if it is not your job. Do you understand?" he said with such power and confidence. Every employee, vampire and human alike answered in one voice.

"Yes Master." And that was that, we were opening in 10 minutes and I was actually having fun, even though I was still a little worried about Pam. This is what I had meant when I spoke to Eric earlier about wanting us to have "a normal" life, he and I working side by side. I realized that I hadn't let Eric know I could hear other vampires. He was behind the bar getting set up and I knew we couldn't stop and talk about it so I just sent him a mental note.

'_It is not just you and Pam. I can hear all vampires. I can hear them as clearly as I hear humans.' _He nodded and sent me a wink as if to show his support. He sent me a mental _'we will talk later.'_ And I nodded in response.

Belinda was attempting to stand and walk, but it was obvious to me she couldn't get up on her own. Even though I was pressed for time I had promised Pam that I would take care of Belinda for her so I went to help her.

"Here Belinda, let me help you to the office." I smiled.

"No Sookie, I can work, really I can. I mean it hurts, but it's been worse before and I made it through a shift." She tried to be convincing, but as she went to turn she doubled over in pain.

"Belinda, I don't know what you are used to, but in this weird little family you are now a part of, we take care of each other. Now come on, you are going to go lie down and rest until we go home." I grinned at her and for what I was sure was the first time I saw a real smile from Belinda.

"A family and home, huh? I never really had one before, but it sounds nice." she said as I helped her to Pam's office and onto the couch. I pulled a blanket from the closet and covered her. As she settled in, I turned on a small lamp in the corner of the office. I swear she was asleep before I had even pulled the door closed behind me.

**EPOV**

As I prepared to work the bar area for the first time in a decade I remember something that I had let slide. I had not procured an engagement ring for Sookie yet. Damn it! I asked her to marry me a few nights ago, she said yes and yet I still didn't have a ring on her finger. Well, as soon as Pam has returned and this Belinda/Joe issue is resolved, I will remedy that situation. My Bonded, my Sookie deserves a beautiful engagement ring on her sweet little finger. I am not worried about Pam in theory, but she was my little girl and I was a little bit concerned, but she wanted to do this alone. I had sent my fiercest warrior with her, Thalia. Not many knew it but Thalia was a little powerhouse and she was beyond ancient. I knew that she would protect my child and Pam would feel as though I trusted her to do this without me.

Sookie had advised me mentally that she heard other vampires besides Pam and me. I knew that the power would come in handy, but I also knew it would put her in great danger if other's ever found out about this in a situation that we were not in full control of. We would have to be very careful in how we announced that particular power to the world. I watched Sookie as she prepare to open the bar, but suddenly she had a worried look on her face. She was watching Belinda. She went to her and helped her to Pam's office. A few minutes later she was sitting by the front door ready to greet the masses. I heard the employee door open and several of my minions walked in to join our disjointed little crew. I knew they were not happy about being here on their night off, but they obeyed me and in the end that was all that mattered to me.

It really was going to work out well that they were all here tonight. When Pam returned I would announce Sookie as my bonded and they would all pledge their fealty to my sweet lover. I smiled and continued to prepare the bar. I felt a strange sensation that I had not felt in a century. I knew what it felt like, but it couldn't be so I shook off the feeling. There was no way SHE could be close enough for me to feel her through our strange little bond. It must be something else. I shook my head clear as I continued to work and I gave Sookie the go ahead to open the doors to the bar. _'Let the mayhem begin'_ I thought as Sookie pulled open the door while two of my vampires flanked her for security.

**SPOV**

The fangbangers LOVED that Eric was bartending and that they actually had an excuse to speak to him. He was not his usual off putting self that he normally was when he sat sulking on his throne for their amusement. He was actually being charming and getting really big tips in return. He was really turning it on and using that million dollar smile. It wasn't his real smile, the one that I get to see, but it was beautiful nonetheless. I suddenly realized he was doing it for the wait staff that had come in on their night off. He was splitting the tips among them. He was keeping his wait staff happy with LOTS of extra money. Clever Viking, what a very clever boy you are!

We had been open for about an hour when trouble came walking in. When you have worked in a bar for as long as I had you just know how to spot it. Really it was more of a feeling than anything else. They were three new vampires and some barely legal fangbangers. I don't know how I knew how old the vampires were, but it was almost like I could see their age in my head. The taller one was about 50 years vamp and the other two were newly turned. If I had to guess they were around two to four months old at the most. I sent a mental _'could be trouble'_ to Eric, and he sent me back '_I've never seen them. They need to check in with me. Send them to the bar.'_ I turned to the older vamp and said,

"My master requests that you check in with him. He is behind the bar tonight." I said in a non threatening tone.

He looked at me like I was gum stuck to his shoe, but nodded and said to his underlings,

"Come we must check in with Sheriff Northman and ask for hunting rights." Before anyone could say anything I foolishly did.

"Eric will not issue you hunting rights as there is no hunting in his area, but he will explain all of our rules to you if you would be so kind to go speak to him." I glared at him and he glared right back at me. I think we had decided we did not like each other.

"There are no OUR rules human. Do not speak to me again unless I speak to you." He snarled. Eric was up and over the bar, and before I could say a word he had the vamp by the neck and the two baby vamps just huddled together in fear.

"Do you know WHO I AM?" Eric growled.

"Yes, you are Sheriff Northman." He grimaced as he tried to speak since Eric had not let up on his grip of the vamps neck.

"Pledge your fealty to me now or die."

"I pledge my fealty to you Sheriff, Eric Northman." Eric nodded at this and then in a booming voice he announced,

"This is my Bonded, Sookie Stackhouse. I see that you two have already met." He growled again as he turned the vamp to me.

"But she is a human." He foolishly answered. Eric's grip on his neck increased and Eric whispered in a deadly tone,

"YOU DARE DEFY ME? Pledge your fealty to my Bonded or DIE! That goes for every vampire and all that owe fealty to me" (So much for a nice sweet announcement, I thought to myself) as the bad vamp started to speak,

"I pledge my fealty to you Mistress Sookie Stackhouse." He was choking on the words, but he said them. The baby vamps were quick to pledge their fealty to Eric and I with no questions asked. Seeing their maker on his knees and with fear in his eyes helped their decision along I am sure. The fangbangers look absolutely terrified. I dipped into their minds just to be sure the vamps had not illegally glamoured the girls into being here. They had not been glamoured, the girls just wanted to go out with vampires and have a good time. I spoke to them,

"These are not good vampires. Just like there are some people who are bad, there are vampires who are bad. If you just wanted to go out to a vampire bar and have a good time, then you can stay here. If I were you, I would not be with these vamps; they still hunt and kill. You might not be alive in the morning to brag to your sorority sisters that you partied with vamps at Fangtasia." They looked shocked that I had told them their plan of bragging to their sorority sisters that they dated vamps, but I tried to get their attention in a way I knew would work and it definitely did. The girls walked away and went to sit down on their own. Poppa Vamp was pissed, but he chose wisely and said nothing else to Eric or me. The three walked to the bar and were quickly approached by another set of fangbangers. Oh well, you can't save them all.

"Don't worry Lover, I will forbid them to hunt here. It might not stop them forever but it will stop them when they are in our bar." He smiled and it was not lost on me that he had said 'our' bar. Nice touch Viking, nice touch, I thought before he added,

"I am sorry Sookie. That was not how I wanted to announce you as my bonded. I will do better with our pledging. I promise." He looked almost ashamed and I said,

"Don't feel bad Eric. Remember, I announced to my family we were bonded while threatening their lives. Apparently this is just our style of announcing." I laughed and it seemed to make him feel better as he laughed that easy laugh in his deep booming voice that always makes me smile.

Over the next hour I had every vampire in the bar and even some fangbangers pledged their loyalty to me (oh joy, my night was now complete) and then I saw Pam, Thalia and Clancy as they walked in looking rosy cheeked. Well hell, I know what that means. They looked like Bill had after he left me to hunt for revenge in Dallas. Pam cracked a smile as she walked past me carrying two suitcases that I could only assume were Belinda's. Thalia, who was older than Eric by what felt like at least several centuries, walked straight to Eric and said,

"Your child is very inventive and she fights like you. You would have been very proud, Sheriff. She will make a good leader some day. If she can keep her temper, she is much like you in that way. She wanted to rip them all apart, but she reigned in her anger with a little prompting from me." She grinned, walked to her table and waved off two younger vamps who had sat there by mistake. The statement she made to Eric was the most I had ever heard her speak. She was older than Eric and therefore more powerful, but Eric had told me once she did not seek power only solitude. She wanted her privacy and peace. That was the reason she had moved to Eric's area. They had known each other many centuries ago so it was Eric she turned to when she no longer sought to be royalty.

Clancy walked past me in a huff and only said,

"At least I got to feed. Who moved my bar towels?" he snapped as he looked at me, to which I said,

"Ask Eric, he tended bar while you were gone." He didn't have a snappy comeback for that. He simply nodded. I left the front door to the bouncers and went to check on Pam. Eric had walked to his throne and sat down with one leg thrown over the side arm. He gave that look to me that said 'fuck me hard baby'. It made me drool and pool between my legs. He knew what he was doing to me too. He smirked at me as I walked past him. When I was almost out of sight I threw him for a loop as I sent him this little message,

'_After I check on Pam and Belinda, I will be all alone in your office and damn if it's not hot in here. I may have to take some 'things' off and lay down on that big ole desk of yours, since it is right under the fan.' _I felt the lust through the bond and I smiled as I thought _'checkmate'_

**PPOV**

I had done what I set out to do, but I did it in such a way it would work to our advantage. After I beat and tortured, that prick Joe I glamoured him into believing that he no longer wanted Belinda and he had thrown her out. I glamoured him into putting several bugs around the office of his FOTS headquarters and then I conveniently glamoured him to forget that fact as well. He would wake up suddenly and have no real interest in Belinda, Eric, me or Vampires in general; he would cut ties to the Fellowship and move back home to southern Louisiana. Several of his friends that were with him were not so lucky. They were known drainers and we had hunted for them for several months. I can't really explain why I killed the others and yet I did not kill him. Other than he was new to the game and had not yet drained anyone plus, for some reason, I did not want to tell Belinda I killed him. One day not so long ago she had loved him, or at least she thought she had. At any rate, I was sure he had meant something to her once upon a time. He had changed when he was brainwashed by the Fellowship and it was then that he had become physically abusive to her. Not that I condone verbal abuse either, but now I only wanted to tell her she was safe and that he would never bother her again.

I returned to the bar to see a relieved Sookie and no matter how disinterested he tried to act my maker was happy I had returned unharmed. He had kept a close eye on our bond while I was gone. He had always been such a good maker and I did love him. I hoped that I would be a good maker like him some day. He smiled at me as I walked past him toward my office and into a sweet sight, Belinda sleeping on my couch. I felt unexplainable feelings for her as I watched her and I could not help but remember my last conversation with Keillen as she lay dying in my arms.

'_I will love you forever. I will never love again.' I had told her with tears streaming down my face._

'_No, I only taught you how to love. I am not your great love. You will find someone who will not be afraid to be what you are and she will be your forever love.' Her words burned my heart and made me cry harder. I remembered in that moment how she felt in my arms and how she smelled as she kissed me for the last time and whispered,_

'_I will watch over you. I will send her to you with a sign that not even a skeptic like you will miss. She will love you and you will love her from almost the first touch. I don't know how I know, I just do. I love you Pam, thank you for my life. Thank you for loving me. You were the one. You were my great love even if I could not be yours. I love you.' And with that she closed her eyes for the last time._

I wondered as I watched Belinda sleep could she be who Keillen promised me? I was somewhat shaken at the memory and at that thought, but I tried to be quite as I set down Belinda's belongings. I quietly went the rest of the way into my office, but she woke as I set her suitcases down.

"Are those my suitcases?" she asked as she looked up at me with sleepy eyes.

"Yes, and this is the money he stole from you." I said as I handed her a large roll of bills that would cover six or seven of the paychecks he had stolen from her.

"Is he dead?" she asked quietly.

"No, but he will never bother any of us again. The people who were responsible for turning him into a monster however are dead. If you wish me to kill him though, I will." I stated the truth bluntly.

"No, I don't want him dead unless you think he will come after you. I couldn't live if anything happened to you." It was not lost on me that she had not commented on the fact that I had killed people tonight. She was only concerned about my safety. I knelt down on the floor beside her, making me eye level with her.

"Belinda, why did you not come to me? I would have stopped this. How long did it go on? How long did he hurt you?" I prodded gently for the information that I needed.

"I was embarrassed. He was never what you call gentle with me. He found me when I first came to Shreveport. I had run away from the last in a long line of foster home and it was before I worked here; I didn't have anything, I had no money, no place to sleep and no way to keep warm. Pam you have to understand I was cold and hungry. I mean he wasn't always cruel, he fed me and kept me off the streets….I never wanted you to find out what I was, Pam when he found me I was a who…" I cut her off right there. I would not have her speak that way about herself anymore.

"NO you were not. You are a survivor! You did what you had to do to survive and he never had the right to hurt you, NEVER." I said while I stroked her hair and sweet face. Then something she said hit me, she had been in a 'foster home' I knew that those were for under aged humans who had no family I had a sudden realization so I asked her,

"Belinda how old **ARE** you?"

"I am….24…" she stammered.

"Belinda, How. Old. Are. You?" I said with a raised eyebrow.

"I just turned 21. I am sorry, but I really needed the job. The tips here are better than a regular bar and I was saving to run again but he found out and started taking that too…"

I was about to lightly chastise her for putting us all in danger by working here for almost two years underage. She could have had the bar shut down if anyone had checked her age too closely at her age, but then I noticed she was staring at her suitcases when she asked with tears in her eyes,

"Pam, I don't wanna run anymore. Where will I go? Where will I live? I don't have anyo…" I cut her off again.

"You have me, you can stay with me for as long as you like." I kissed her head and added, "But you owe me nothing for this. I don't want you to think you have to feed me or sleep with me to make me care for you." I wanted to make sure she knew I was not expecting her to pay me in sex or blood. She simply smiled as she rested her head against me and winced as she turned.

"What did he burn you with?" I asked softly.

"Curling iron, he would make me heat it up, that was almost as bad as the burn. Just standing there turning it on high knowing he was going to use it on me." She wept and all I could do was wish I had killed him. He might die before sunrise after all.

I knew I had to get her home and heal her. I had barely thought the thought when I heard a knock on my door and Sookie's voice.

"Pam, are you guys okay?" she asked sweetly before opening the door all the way.

"Yes, we are fine. I am going to take Belinda home soon." I advised.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I haven't asked Eric yet, but I think you both should come and stay at Eric's house tonight. That way in the morning Belinda won't be alone, she'll have me to talk to and if she needs anything I can help her. I remember waking up alone the other morning and it would have been nice if someone had been there to talk to." She explained.

"If Eric is alright with that I think that would be a wonderful idea." I smiled at her thoughtfulness and realized Belinda had fallen back asleep with her head on my shoulder. I looked back to Sookie and whispered,

"I will hold her for awhile and just let her sleep. Come get us when you are ready to go home, alright?" Sookie nodded and closed the door as I cradled Belinda against me and wondered what in the hell was happening to me. Five days ago I was a cold, cruel calculating bitch and tonight I was an avenging angel who actually thought she might be falling in love. Well fuck a damn zombie!

**EPOV**

I went to my office to claim my prize! I was NOT disappointed by what I found. Sookie was on my desk dressed in only her red fuck me heels and lacy white panties. When she spoke to me I damn near came in my pants.

"Eric, I think I have been a naughty little fairy again." She purred.

"What naughty thing did you do Sookie?" I played along with her game as I locked the door.

"I've been sitting here putting my hand in my panties touching YOUR pussy. I've played with it the whole time I've been waiting on you and I put my fingers way up inside me too." She panted. She was getting better at talking dirty but she was still blushing like mad. I loved it. Then she damn near killed me as she dipped her hand under her panties, touched herself and then offered me her wet fingers to lick. I pulled her hand to my mouth and licked her juices off each finger. I will NEVER get over how damn good she taste. I continued with the game she wanted to play and said,

"Oh Sookie, you _have_ been a very naughty little fairy. Stand up and pull your panties down to your ankles. Don't take them off though." She did as I said without hesitation. "Now turn around and bend over the desk and spread you legs as far as they will go with your panties around your ankles." She was creaming up nicely for me and I hadn't even touched her yet.

I rubbed her ass gently and kissed and licked her rear entrance. I went down on her from behind, and this was a new sensation for her and was not what she was expecting as she came hard for me. She then wiggled her sweet little ass and I knew she wanted me to spank her. Well who am I to disappoint a fairy princess. I spanked her lightly and then a little rougher on the sweet spot where her ass and pussy met. She was panting and begging by the time I finished and ordered her to stand up. She looked at me like I was the gazelle and she was the lioness.

"Eric, I've wanted you just like this, in that outfit for so long." She stopped speaking for a moment while she stalked toward me. "I'm not the only one whose been naughty tonight Eric. Don't think I didn't see you out there flirting with those other women. Do you really think I am going to let that stand Viking? Do you?" she glared at me as I ripped the vest off my body.

**A/N: Sorry my beloved minions but that just means: LEMONS next chapter too! And if you are good and review I might through in a little sweet love scene with Pam and Belinda, not sure though as they are just finding their way to each other's hearts. As always I own nothing, the beautiful CH does.**

**On a secondary note, if you or someone you love is being abused please call for help. Abuse is abuse is abuse! Verbal abuse turns into physical abuse, if someone thinks so little of you to abuse you verbally or emotionally they are dehumanizing you so they can physically abuse you later. I know that of which I speak. GET HELP NOW break the silence and the cycle! **


	14. Chapter 14  Let Me Catch Up

Chapter 14 – Let me catch up

**A/N: Just a lovely sweet chapter but with some plot info! As always, I love my BETA team of sassyvampmama and kjwrit. They rock my socks off! HUGS**

**Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I hope you have a great day this Thursday for those of you here in the U.S. I love all of you (worldwide) and I am so Thankful for every one of my little minions!**

**LAST TIME: "Eric, I've wanted you like this, in that outfit for so long." She stopped speaking for a moment while she stalked toward me. "I'm not the only one whose been naughty tonight Eric. Don't think I didn't see you out there flirting with those other women. Do really think I am going to let that stand Viking? Do you?" she glared at me as I ripped the vest off my body.**

**SPOV**

I watched him strip the vest off his body but as he reached for the belt buckle I stopped him.

"Stop! Did I tell you to strip?"

"No Mistress, please forgive me."

"Crawl to me." I ordered and I was surprised when he did just that. I watched him look at me like I was the only thing in the world that mattered to him. I realized with a catch in my throat that I was and suddenly I didn't want to play anymore. I wanted to make love to him.

"Stand up baby." I said sweetly. He looked at me with confusion, but he stood. I reached for his belt buckle and I undid it gently. I ran my fingers through his hair and then over his shoulders before reaching back to his pants. I unzipped him and pushed them down which was a little harder than I expected. Pushing leather pants down with a huge erection was not an easy task. He was also commando, but of course that did not surprise me.

"Mistress, mistress please…"he begged not knowing the game had changed somewhat in my mind. I petted him where he wanted and his eyes went wide as I sent every ounce of love I have for him through the bond. He went weak in his knees and we ended up stumbling back to the couch. He was panting when he said,

"You own me Sookie, you own my very soul. Please kiss me and let me kiss you." I knew he did not mean my mouth on his. This was always his request when he wanted the position that I knew as '69'. I had never done it with anyone but him. It felt good as we kissed and licked each other in our most private areas. Anytime we did this it reminded me of the night of the Witch War. We had done this the last time we made love before he forgot me. I shuddered when I thought about last month and how not having him love me had made me ache. I could not believe that just five days ago I was without him, I had been alone and abandoned. The very memory pained me. My shields were completely down so he felt my pain as he raised his head for a moment and whispered,

"Never again my lover, I love you and I will not leave you." To which I responded, "I will not run. I will never leave you and I will always love you." He brought me hard with his mouth and before I knew what was happening I was on my back and he was inside me. He looked at me and said,

"This is right. Yes this is best." He kept chanting that like a prayer and it made it almost impossible not to cry. I suddenly had the urge to bite him so I did. I bit, drew blood and sucked on the wound until it closed. He moaned and shuddered as he bit into my neck. I felt him fill me with his seed and I wished that I could give him a baby. I have no idea where that thought came from but it was there. It wasn't the 'oh my biological clock is ticking and I want a baby' thought. It was something precious that I wished I could give to him, a child of our own. I realized Eric was looking at me like I was the most wonderful thing he had ever seen.

"You would, wouldn't you? Even though it would make you a bigger target, even though it would endanger you and the baby? You would give me a son or daughter. You would make me a father again if you could. You love me enough to trust me to be the father to your children." The last part was more a statement than a question.

"Eric, I know we can't have a baby. But if we could then yes, even though it would put us in danger and even though it wouldn't be practical and the baby would be a target too. There is a very selfish part of me that really wants to have a baby, but not just any baby, your baby. You have to understand, I don't just want a baby for the sake of having a baby. I want yours and I know we can't so I am not going to sit around and have the baby blues over it. It was just a random thought of something I wish I could do for you, for us. I promise sweetie." I smiled and opened the bond completely so he would know I was totally comfortable with us not being able to have children.

He stroked my hair and held me for a long time before I told him my plan to take Belinda and Pam home with us. He gave me that 'really, why?' look but finally relented when I resorted to the 'puppy dog eyes' look that Pam taught me. I think he muttered brat under his breath as he helped me up to get dressed.

"Eric, do you think Belinda will be okay?" I asked concerned for her state of mind.

"I believe so Lover, if anyone can bring her through this it is Pam. Pam has this uncanny ability to nurture when she is forced to do so." He smiled a sweet smile to show me he was serious.

"I know. If she had not held me the other night when I fell apart I don't know what I would have done. I felt like I was dying right here on the floor…" I said as I pointed to the spot I had fallen apart in, "but then she was just there holding me, telling me it would be okay and that I could trust you again." I really had no idea what I would have done if she hadn't been there. Pam saved me from myself and kept me from going off the deep end until Eric got there to love me through all the pain. I smiled at the memory of that first embrace he gave me in this very spot. He had taken me from Pam's arms on the couch and pulled me into his own embrace. I looked up at him and we relived the sweet moment together. He looked at me softly and said,

"I was so scared; I felt powerless for the first time in centuries and I did not know what to do to help you. All I knew to do was hold you and when you fell apart in my arms, begging for one more moment with _Your Eric_, I prayed too Sookie. I prayed you would forgive me so that I could love you the way you deserved." His voice was far away and distant as if the memory of that night hurt him. I cuddled against him and whispered,

"You _are_ my Eric, you always were. We were just scared then, but now all our prayers have been answered. We found each other's hearts and we are whole now. I love you baby, and you did make everything better. You saved me baby; _you_ saved me. I will never forget you holding me in Pam's stupid minivan and how good it felt. I love you so much." I giggled the last part and after a long moment we gave each other one last long hug and went to check on Pam and Belinda.

**EPOV**

I knocked gently on Pam's office door and Pam answered me though our bond to enter the office. Sookie and I went in together and I heard Sookie let an audible "Awww" out as we saw Pam sitting on the couch with Belinda fast asleep in her arms. Pam looked up to me with hesitation and said,

"Master, I can take her to my house if you…" I cut her off,

"No, I believe Sookie's thinking is sound and it would be better if we all stay together. When Belinda awakes in the morning she will have Sookie to talk to and help her digest all that she has been through tonight and in the past couple of months from what you have shown me." I said that to let Sookie know that Pam had been sending me knowledge of the HELL that had been Belinda's life for quite some time now.

"Thank you Master, she is very weak, tired and injured beyond what I had originally thought. The burns on her stomach are quite extensive. Once I drive her to your home I will need to give her my blood immediately. It will have to be taken internally as well as topically I believe." Pam explained as if she wanted my approval for her to give her blood to a human. To my knowledge Pam had never shared her blood with anyone other than me and Keillen. I nodded that I understood and since I wanted to repay the favor Pam had given me the other night when she drove so I could continue to hold Sookie, I said,

"Give me your keys and I will drive your vehicle so you can sit in the back and hold her. Here Sookie you don't mind driving my car home do you?" I asked, as I handed her, the keys to the Corvette. She looked at me like I had two heads and whispered as to not wake Belinda,

"YOU are going to let ME drive the Corvette?"She paused for a moment before continuing to tease me by saying, "You love that car more than me or Pam. I can't believe I get to drive it." She giggled quietly. It was half in humor but half serious and I thought '_okay, you wanna play little girl, let's play'._ I looked to Pam and thought _'gives us a moment'_ as I pulled Sookie into the hallway. I smiled and then looked at her with all my love as I said,

"You think I love a material possession over you, my bonded? There is nothing I love more than you. That is why earlier this evening when we first arrived I called my attorney. You will need to invite Pam and myself in the house when we arrive home. The house is now in your name." I smiled softly at her and waited to see if she ran to me or away from me. I was still afraid she would run. No matter how many times she promised me she would not run, I was still gun shy when it came to her responses to my gestures of kindness and love. She looked at me for a long moment and right before I could panic she said,

"I want to add your name to the deed on my house and I want to create a light tight area so when we stay there you aren't confined to that closet. I would like for Alcide to do it because I trust him not to reveal the location of your resting place and he is already there working on the kitchen. I would like for him to do the work simultaneously. Do you think we can financially afford to do that now? I can use the money you gave me for keeping you safe if… " She said to my surprise and the way she had worded it by saying "we can" made me smile with happiness.

"No Lover, you keep that money, you said you had a purpose for it." I smiled remembering she wanted to use it for a wedding dress and my wedding ring. I continued to smile as I said, "Yes Lover I would like to have a place to rest at your home and I will call Herveaux when we get home and see what he suggests. We could have the cellar dug out and make that an area for me or install light tight shutters to your room." I suggested. She got that little worried look on her face and said,

"I don't like the idea of you upstairs there is just not enough security there. I think I like the cellar idea better. It will probably be more expensive, but in the end I will feel more secure knowing you are safe during the day if I have to go out. Even with you being in the cellar I think we should have a security system put in and have it warded." She explained and I nodded in agreement and said,

"Of course Lover, whatever you think the best idea is." I was so proud of her and her thinking. I then slipped the keys to the Vette firmly in her hand and grinned as I said,

"Drive her with care, besides you she is my pride and joy." I smiled and she nodded as she giggled at my comment on her way to the car. I walked back in Pam's office to tell her we were ready to go and we all walked out together. It was not lost on me that I was leaving with three beautiful women in my care and every male, vampire and human alike, was jealous of me. If they only knew this just meant I was out numbered worse that I was 24 hours ago. I laughed to myself as I climbed in Pam's minivan and drove toward home. Home Sweet Home!

**BPOV**

I knew I was being carried but that's about all I could tell you. I could also say I knew I was safe in Pam's arms, but where she was taking me I couldn't even begin to tell you. I tried to sit up but Pam stopped me and shushed me,

"No sweetheart, stay right here. We are going home." She cooed to me and I closed my eyes and found that sweet sleep yet again. For a moment I heard Sookie's voice saying something like please come in, but I couldn't wake up to see where we were at. Were we at Sookie's house, Pam's or Eric's? I had no idea, but I knew that I was safe. It smelled like chocolate brownies and I felt like I was at home. I tried to open my eyes, but I heard Pam whispering in my ear to rest easy so I did.

My next moment of waking was Pam laying me down on a soft bed. I reached up to pull at her, but she took my hands and laid them by my side. She then lifted me into a sitting position and pulled my shirt off my body and gently removed my bra. I felt the rest of my clothes being removed as well. It wasn't the way I wanted her to undress me for the first time. I heard her gasp and I could only think she was horrified at my scars and injuries. I moved to cover myself as I felt tears well up in my eyes, but once again she surprised me with her gentleness as she laid me back down on the bed and whispered,

"You are so beautiful. I will heal you now my sweetheart. Everything is going to be fine. You are safe now. Just rest and let me take care of this for you."

**PPOV**

I had gently undressed Belinda and even though this moment was not about sex, I would be lying to say I was not moved to see her laying there. She was so vulnerable, so trusting and sweet. Her body was beautiful even with the burns, bruises and marks. The moment did remind me of my first encounter with Keillen, but Belinda was different in so many ways. I was different now. I no longer wished to be alone. I wanted a life with someone. I saw what Eric and Sookie had together and I longed for that sort of experience. I wanted more than a fuck and a feed. Belinda deserved to be loved and cared for but I was unsure if I was the person to give her that. My heart and mind raced with the emotions I was feeling for her. For two months now I had fantasized about her and been enthralled by her, but now I wanted more than sex. I looked at her and gasped with desire. She reached for the blanket beside her to cover herself as tears formed in her eyes. She must have thought my gasp of desire was that of horror at the burns, but it was not and I told her,

"You are so beautiful. I will heal you now my sweetheart. Everything is going to be fine. You are safe now. Just rest and let me take care of this for you." I cooed to her as I bit my hand and began to take care of the burn on her stomach first.

"Pam it hurts…" she cried as she held on to me and I winced at her discomfort.

"I know angel, it will be better soon, just hold on sweetheart. It will stop soon." I smiled down at her and kissed her forehead for what seemed like the millionth time tonight. She smiled up at me and I kissed her. I just could not stop myself from tasting her sweet lips just once, I told myself, but I should have known I would not be able to stop once I tasted her again.

I bit my tongue and bent down to kiss every one of her wounds. I lavished every wound with my blood as I kissed her body. I knew I should not, I knew that I told her I did not expect anything from her, but when she began to respond to my touch and I felt her hand go to my hair I could not stop kissing her bare skin.

"Pam, ahh… that feels so good, please…." She whispered and I was finally able to reign in my desire back under control and moved up the bed to feed her my blood. I whispered to her what I wanted her to do.

"Belinda, I need you to drink from me to finish healing you, but I want to explain to you what it will mean for you." I took a deep breath and pushed my desire further down. "My blood will definitely heal any internal injuries you may have and it will help with any pain or scarring to your stomach. It will also mean that I will be able to find you fast. I will always be able to feel you and you will probably feel drawn to me sexually." I explained.

"Pam, I need to tell you something, I am already drawn to you and I've never been attracted to a woman before you. I have never looked at a woman sexually before, but there is something about the way you hold me and touch that makes me want to kiss and hold you. Pam, I feel like, I feel like I'm fallin…." I stopped her.

"Belinda, not yet please don't say it yet. I will not be able to say it back to you right now and I want to be able to say it when it is right. I care for you. I have desired you since the first night you kissed me. I have fantasized about you for two months now and when I heard your thoughts tonight that you had been hurt, it ripped my heart out. I am not saying I do not care; I am simply asking for time, just little more time. I am not used to… I need… Let me catch up, okay?" I said as sweetly and honestly as I could to her.

"Okay." That was all she whispered to me. I knew it had disappointed her that I stopped her from telling me she loved me, but I felt it was too soon and I wanted for her to be sure, not grateful. I kissed her gently and whispered my request again,

"Will you drink from me?" I asked unsure if she would still do it, but she nodded. I took her face in my hands and placed feather light kisses all over it. I took the blanket from the bottom of the bed and wrapped her in it as I moved to undress.

I climbed back in to the bed with her as I pulled her to sit up between my legs and bit my own wrist as I placed it in front of her mouth. She put her sweet little mouth over the wound and drank me down. I could feel that burn deep in my stomach and knew I was close to orgasm. I was panting her name,

"Belinda, ahh, yes, pull harder on it and drink more of me…ah..." she drew one more time before the wound closed and then she turned in my arms and kissed me. When she turned her hip grazed my sex and I felt my slick folds move against her skin. I had an image of her face between my legs and that fantasy was all it took, I came hard and collapsed forward into her arms. I looked at her and smiled,

"Well, that was new." I laughed and she looked confused. "You made me come with just the promise of touches you have yet to give me." I explained and she blushed. I loved it, she should be totally jaded from the horrible life she has had, but she could still blush at me! I smiled and pulled her down into the safety of the covers and told her to sleep. I knew that I would not be there when she woke and that pained me. I would have to talk to Eric about the resting chambers and the fact that I wanted her with me in my room if we were going to stay there for any length of time. When I felt dawn was approaching, I placed a pillow behind Belinda's back and one at her waist to mimic me and the position I had taken while she slept. I hoped this would keep her sleeping and feeling safe. I approached the elevator to go to my resting chamber below. I took one last look at her and wished I could stay there holding her or take her with me to hold all day in my arms. Instead I sadly made my way down to my resting chamber alone.

**EPOV**

What an evening my two girls (well three now) had tonight. It would seem that Pam had collected a pet, but something told me Belinda would mean more to her than that. I had a feeling that Pam would soon have a child or bonded of her own. I turned my attention to my little minx who was enjoying a hot shower by herself. She banished me from the bathroom as she claimed she would never get clean if I kept getting her dirty. I laughed and worked at my desk in my little impromptu office. I made a phone call to confirm that I had blood oathed with Niall. The voice I longed to hear was unavailable to me so I left a cryptic message with an underling. I then turned to go as I heard the elevator moving and knew Pam was retiring for the evening. I was not prepared for the look on her face when she came off the elevator.

"Pam, are you alright?" I asked cautiously.

"Yes, I am just worried about Belinda. Do you think Sookie will sleep upstairs with her tonight, for me? I don't want her up there alone. She is so frightened. I am afraid she will have nightmares and I won't be there to comfort her." She actually had tears in her eyes and her brow was furrowed from worry.

"Pam do you trust her"

"Yes. I can feel how much she cares for me. If I were at home, she would be in my bed."

"Then bring her down, but she will not be able to go up until Sookie rises. Do NOT give her codes to the doors or the elevator." I am kind but not foolhardy.

"Thank you Eric!" she smiled and disappeared up the elevator.

'_Screwed, I am screwed. Three beautiful women that can bend me to their will and Belinda isn't even trying. I am simply moved by her plight and Pam's love for her. They will be the final death of me.' _That was the thought that ran through my mind as I ran my hand threw my hair and waited on Sookie to get out of the shower to rejoin me in our chamber. I wandered back into our bedroom and heard Sookie's laughter,

"Oh poor Eric, is the big bad Viking vampire being twisted around his girls little pinky fingers?" and damn it if she didn't giggle at me too.

"Well, aren't you a brave little Faery?" I snarled. She lit her little hands and said,

"Yep, wanna try me?" she gave me a come hither look that lit a fire of my own.

"You think you can take me Faery?" I growled with a smile that I knew would arouse her.

"That won't work and you know that I can take you." She raised an eyebrow at me and smiled her own evil smile that definitely aroused me.

"Alright, go!" and I lunged at her. She quickly popped across the room pulling a blunt sword for my wall and landing on her feet. It was a familiar move but not one of mine. I could not place where I had seen it before but I knew I knew it. I knew who it reminded me of, but that just could not be, it could not be. I pushed the thought away to concentrate on the task at hand, 'Catch the Naughty Faery.' I pulled a blunt sword from the wall as well; I went one way and she dodged toward the direction I wanted her to go. I almost had her in my grasp when she did this amazing move and was behind me with the sword at my throat. I quickly moved and evaded her. When I looked back at her she was watching me like I was her next and last meal. She was the predator and I was the prey. God she could turn me on like no one else ever had! She stalked around behind me and threw an evil smile at me as she growled this low guttural tone as she lunged for me again and she was on me.

**SPOV**

I had absolutely no idea what was happening to me, but I was really enjoying fighting Eric. I had him pinned and I actually thought 'I could take him, if I had to, I could take him.' That thought scared me. I stood up and backed away from him. I laid the sword down as I felt the tears run down my face. Why had I thought that? What was happening to me?

"Sookie, what is wrong?" he asked.

"I attacked you!" she exclaimed.

"Sookie we were just sparring." He said almost exasperated with me.

"I know that's how it started but then I thought… I thought that if I had to, if I ever had to, I could take you." And with that I collapsed on the bed and sobbed.

"That is good Sookie. It is good that you are strong and you can fight well enough to defend yourself. I think what you are just feeling is just a natural instinct. You are Fae; I am Vampire. It is important to your survival and that Fae part of you to know that you are able to free yourself from every vampire, even me." He paused for a moment before continuing,

"Sookie, early on you used some fight moves I have seen before but can't remember where exactly. Do you know how you knew to do what you did when you popped and flipped to get the sword?" He asked me with great interest.

"I thought I got it from you." I sniffed through my tears. I was feeling a little better from what Eric was explaining to me about natural instinct for a Fae to want to defeat a vampire, but he was my vampire and the thought had really caught me by surprise. He looked at me softly, took me in his arms and said,

"It is unimportant. I love you; you love me. Let me love you Sookie. Let me love you until dawn, we have only a few precious minutes, but I wish to spend them loving you." With that he climbed onto the bed with me where I had earlier collapsed and took me in his arms. As he settled me in his arms he whispered to me that Belinda was with Pam and asked me to check on her when I woke. I nodded as he pulled his Louisiana Tech t-shirt from my body and kissed me from head to toe. When dawn came I was so relaxed and felt so loved I literally passed out with the bulk of my vampire's body between my legs and his head turned on my chest so he could let the dawn take him while he listened to my heartbeat.

I woke once around 10 am and **listened** for Belinda, but all I picked up on were two distinct voids and one low hum of human contentment. I very happily passed back out and slept like the dead, peacefully.

**A/N: Told you just fluff with some plot line. Pay attention my baby minions! As always I own nothing. It is all property of the lovely CH who I love and adore! I Love you and I really am thankful for all of my sweet readers! Please take a moment and review, it means a lot to me to get feedback from you all!**


	15. Chapter 15 So Baby, I was thinking

Chapter 15 – So Baby, I was thinking.

A/N: This was gonna be "Just a bunch of sex" scenes but then my muse hit me in the face with the damn plot bunny and damn it if I did not have to add some plot bunny to it. **NOW on to something that made me so happy!** If my estimates are right there are about 2200 little minions out there reading this little story of mine. Now make mommy minion happy and review my lovelies! ***Mommy Minion would love to get 75 reviews so I could hit 400 with this chapter.***

**I love, love, love my content editor kjwrit and my beloved beta sassyvampmama! They ROCK! **

**LAST TIME: ERIC: "It is unimportant. I love you; you love me. Let me love Sookie. Let me love you until dawn, we have but a few precious minutes, but I wish to spend them loving you." With that he took me in his arms and carried me to bed. Before he laid me down he whispered that Belinda was with Pam and to check on her when I woke. I nodded as he pulled his Louisiana Tech t-shirt from my body and kissed me from head to toe. When dawn came I was so relaxed and felt so loved I literally passed out with the bulk of my vampire's body between my legs and his head turned on my chest so he could let the dawn take him while he listened to my heartbeat. **

**I woke once around 10 am and listened for Belinda but all I picked up on were two distinct voids and one low hum of human contentment. I very happily passed back out and slept like the dead, peacefully.**

**SPOV**

I woke up at 3pm too way to much information. I could hear everything Belinda was thinking about Pam; well it was more like what she was thinking at Pam.

'_I love you. I know you don't want me to say it, but you can't stop me now. You're not awake to stop me. I love you, I love you, I love you so much. God that feels so good to say. When you kissed me last night it felt so good and the way you licked all the…' _I stopped listening right there. Ewwww, I so don't need to have that visual all day so I called out to Belinda as I stood outside Pam's door,

"Belinda, are you up yet?" I asked acting all innocent.

"Yeah Sookie and I am starving. Did I smell brownies last night?" She called out and seemed unaffected that she was basically locked in a room with no way out.

"Yes, I made a batch and yes there are some left. Just let me get dressed and we'll go up and get some breakfast first before you start in on the brownies." I laughed before asking, "Do you need a change of clothes?"

"No. Pam brought all my clothes back with her last night. I'll bring a change up with me and get cleaned up in the guest room, if that's alright with you."

"I will do the same. I have a room on that level as well. We can have a 'girls' afternoon; get our hair and nails done. We'll get all gussied up for our vampires, Okay?"

"That sounds great Sookie!" I could feel her excitement. It had been a long time since she had a friend. The closest person she had to a friend had been Ginger, and since she had passed away a couple of months ago she had begun to feel all alone. She had gone to Ginger about her abusive relationship and the best advice Ginger could give her was to basically rob the guy and then ask Eric for protection from him. But Belinda was so intimidated by Eric that she was too afraid to ask him for anything. She had not asked Pam out of embarrassment. I felt so bad for her. I had been abused as a child and I remembered what if felt like to be embarrassed by the abuse and to feel that it was my fault. I was suddenly on task with Pam and only wanted Belinda to feel safe and part of our little family. Once upstairs I set about my task,

"So Belinda, what do you want to do today? We have about 3 hours until dusk, of course Eric will 'get up' before Pam but I think we could work in some fun!" I said in my most cheerful voice as I started making homemade biscuits, sausage and gravy. Belinda looked like she was going to drool so I offered her some fruit to tide her over until I had our breakfast ready. I figured I should make the first move into a serious conversation but I did so gently and with trepidation.

"Belinda, if there is anything you need to talk to me about or any questions you might want to ask me I want you to feel free to ask away. If you just wanna use me as a sounding board I will be here for you. You can talk to me about anything and I won't 'share with the class' I promise." She giggled a little when I did the finger quotations around share with the class, but then she looked down and back up again with tears in her eyes.

"I've been alone for so long I don't really know how to act. I know it will take me sometime to work it all out, but I want you to know I will never do anything to hurt Pam or Eric. Sookie, I think I am in love with Pam and well I'll be honest, until last night Eric scared the hell out of me, but when I saw how gentle he was with you and Pam I just know that one day I will trust him too. I won't let you down Sookie, I will be a good friend I promise." She was just freaking adorable. She was calmer now, it seemed once she cleared the air between us and promised she would be a good friend it made her feel closer to us all and part of our little family. I couldn't help myself when I walked around the counter and hugged her while smiling as I said,

"We won't let you down either Belinda. We won't ever abandon you. You are safe now and if you see one day that you are meant to be with someone other than Pam or you want to live somewhere else all you have to do is tell us. We'll still be your friend, okay?" I assured her quietly.

"Thank you Sookie but I don't think I will ever want to be without Pam. She…she makes my heart happy." She smiled as I walked back to the stove to flip the sausage and check on the biscuits.

"Okay, no more tears. Let's pig out and then go give each other a make-over alright!" I grinned.

"Yes that sounds great, but can I ask you a question?" she asked as I checked on the biscuits,

"Sure. What's up?" I flipped the sausage one last time as she asked me,

"Are you really a telepath?" She asked with a little hesitation in her voice.

"Among other _things_, yes I am." I said as I pulled the sausage off the stove and began to stir in the flour to make the gravy.

"Are you how Pam knew he was hurting me?" she asked me in a tiny little voice.

"Yes, I am sorry, but when you winced I wanted to make sure you weren't hurt and then I saw what he was doing to you, so I showed Pam." I admitted as I poured the gravy into a bowl. I'll be honest I wasn't paying close enough attention to her at the moment I was so consumed with cooking and how hungry I was. Then she asked me,

"You showed her? So she saw what he did to me?" she asked once again with the tiny embarrassed voice.

"Yes Pam, Eric and I have a special kind of connection. You can't tell anyone though because it could endanger us, okay. But we can talk to each other, share memories, knowledge and thoughts." I explained and then paused as I realized she was getting upset again. I wanted to see how she was taking what I said before I continued,

"I saw how much you cared for her and how scared you were so I showed her. I'm sorry if that upsets you or if you feel like I invaded your privacy." I apologized.

"No I'm glad for it. I could be dead right now if you hadn't because I was really considering ending it all. I know that makes me a coward, but I just couldn't take the abuse anymore." She was crying and I felt horrible.

"Come on Belinda, there is no need to cry, remember? You're safe now and you have a family that's going to care for you, I promise! We are going to have a great afternoon and as soon as our vampires are up we'll figure out just how much trouble we're going to get into tonight! Maybe we can talk Eric into letting us have a girl's night out! Would you like that?" I asked as I gave her a nod and fixed our plates right as the timer for the biscuits went off.

She smiled and said, "You know what? I think I would!" With that we ate our food without any more tears and then started getting all cute for our vampires! I also made sure she had as many brownies as she wanted. Hell if anybody deserved to get drunk off chocolate it was Belinda.

It was great to have someone to talk to during the day. I really liked Belinda and her company. She had a wicked sense of humor and I swear she felt like family within minutes of hanging out with her, she really reminded me of Hadley. Not to mention she could make me laugh with her funny stories of Eric kicking Fangbangers! She did a GREAT impression of him that made me roll in the floor with laughter! I was in the floor laughing when I felt him and saw him standing at the door to the den with an eyebrow raised. Belinda and I had gone in there to watch a movie but never turned it on when she started doing her impersonation of him.

**EPOV**

I awoke to feeling my bonded being amused. She was laughing. I could hear that much as I clamped down on the bond to sneak up to the den. I was fairly certain the sun was down just enough to keep me from any damage. I skirted around the kitchen windows by floating above and over as the sun was still shining just a bit over the horizon. I stood in the doorway of the den as I watched Belinda draped over one of the chairs doing an impersonation of me and to tell you the truth it was not half bad. She even had my non accent down to a T. Sookie was on the floor laughing as Belinda kick out one of her legs out straight to kick a pillow that was supposed to be a fangbanger, or so I assumed. Suddenly Sookie felt my presence and turned to look at me. Belinda froze and Sookie turned back from me and to Belinda. The girl looked terrified as she dropped to the floor and got behind the chair she had been sitting in just moments before.

"No Belinda it's ok!" Sookie said frantically as she ran to Belinda's side. She had slumped to the floor in fear. I could smell it. Fear and terror rolled through the room and my fangs just clicked out. I was over a thousand years old and I should have better control, but I was up early and therefore in a weakened state. I had not yet fed. I was high on Sookie's amusement and then add to all that the wonderful smell of fear and terror (I am a vampire after all) and it just happened. I approached them cautiously and spoke softly,

"Belinda, I will not harm you." I bent down to where she had crouched and stoked her cheek. I looked at Sookie to see what to do. Sookie looked back at me and projected her thoughts to me,

'_She's always been afraid of you, so you need to show her you won't hurt her. Let her know you thought what she did was funny.'_

"You know Belinda, I have seen numerous impressions of me over the years and that by far was the best one of me ever." I smiled gently and she looked up at me through her teary eyes as she smiled a weak smile for me. She was still covering her stomach and she was shaking. I had to calm her or Pam would kill me. Pam, of course Pam will calm her, I thought with a smile, so I asked,

"Belinda, would you like for me to take you down to Pam? She should wake soon and I know she would love to wake in your arms. I know I love waking in Sookie's, although lately she has fallen behind in her duties of waking with me." I grinned as Sookie punched me in the arm.

"Yes I would love to go back down and be there when Pam wakes up, thank you Eric." She said quietly.

"Belinda, here at home I will be 'different' than I am at work. I have to seem hard because of my position, but now that you are a part of our family you will come to understand that is NOT who I am. I am sorry I have scared you in the past. You are my employee and you should have been able to come to me when you were being hurt. I will not tolerate my staff being harmed. If any of the others are ever in danger I want you to promise me you will come to me. I protect that which is mine." I advised her.

"Okay Eric I promise." She took my hand as Sookie and I helped her up off the floor. Sookie smiled at me and nodded as if to say that I was on my own. She kept her hand in mine and didn't let go of me until we reached Pam's room. Once there I gave a small kiss to the top of her head. She looked up at me and smiled as she said,

"Thank you Eric, thank you. You are a good man. I haven't really been around one before, I am used to the men in my life hurting, using and then abandoning me. I will try to remember that I can trust you. I told Sookie earlier and I will tell you now, I won't let you down. I will be a good friend, I promise." She grinned as she hugged me around my waist before she walked into Pam's room and out of my line of sight.

As I walked away I suddenly realized _'crap I care about her. Damn it, Sookie and Pam will never let me live this down. I have a human friend'. _The thought actually stuck in my throat a little and then I laughed. I felt Sookie through the bond and I knew I was wrong she wasn't going to tease me about this. She was proud of me. When I reached her she was standing in the kitchen holding her coffee cup and smiling at me.

"I love you Eric Northman! You are a great man. Vampire or not, you are a great man!" she smiled again as she sat her coffee down and began to wrapped her arms around me. Our kiss that started so innocent slowly built into something more. I scooped her up and walked into the den.

"ERRRICCC… what if Pam or Belinda…" I cut her off,

"Lover, they will be down there for hours. I saw how Pam looked at her last night. Now she is rising with her in her arms, trust me, they will be very busy." I said as I pushed her skirt up and pulled her panties down. I dropped to my knees and she was suddenly not complaining anymore. I kissed and licked as I sat her on my face as I lay back with her atop me. Damn it she tasted so good. _Honey_, I could remember what it tasted like and that is what she tasted like, honey. I gently pulled on her sweet little nub and she bucked on my face as she cursed like a damn sailor. Normally she was slow to use words like those but I guess I moved her to ecstasy. I smiled into her sweet core and licked her from front to back in a teasing fashion. As she would build to release I would back off and teased her more until she screamed,

"Damn it Northman, stop teasing me. You need to either eat me and make me cum or roll me over and fuck me." So much for not being able to talk dirty and since I was such a gentleman, I did both. I brought her hard with my tongue and then I threw her on her back and towered over her. I undressed slowly, painfully slowly, she actually licked her lips as she watched me and then she began touching herself. I watched her fingers slip between her wet folds and her eyes never left mine as she pleasured herself. I crawled on the floor to her and kissed her hard.

"Keep touching yourself, don't stop, I want to watch you! Sookie, that is so damn hot. AH Fuck lover…" I was begging as she took her free hand and started stroking me in addition to touching herself. We both came hard in a matter of moments. I pulled her to her knees and entered her from behind taking her hard and fast. She was screaming for me not to stop.

"Eric..don't stop, don't you dare stop…oh God…Eric…yes….harder, harder…ah…" I felt my body want to come but I tapped it down not wanting to come before my sweet lover. I felt her walls clenching around me and she screamed out my name and lunged forward. That did me in as I sank my teeth into her neck and spilled into her while collapsing forward onto her as well. After a few moments Sookie rolled over and looked at me and said,

"What the hell was that?" she asked with a raised eyebrow of her own!

"That was Fucking 101. We normally make love, but THAT, that was fucking." I said with a laugh in my voice.

"So that's what all the fuss is about. WOW, it's great! Can we do it again?" she asked and she was absolutely serious.

"Oh yes Lover that can be arranged, that can definitely be arranged." I growled as I pulled her back up into my arms and kissed her as I began the whole process over again!

**QPOV**

Why was he not answering that damn phone of his? Why have a private line if you don't answer the damn thing, I was not believing this shit! I finally have proof that that damn vampire was in league with the FOTS and he wasn't answering the phone! It beeped so I left a message,

"Northman this is YOUR Queen and I am in route to you now! I was already on the east coast so I am almost to you. Protect the telepath at ALL cost and be careful! I have this overwhelming feeling she is the target! You must protect her. CALL ME BACK!" I barked. I could "call" him through our strange little bond but that could cause him to panic and that could endanger Sookie. I started to try the cell, but it wasn't a secured line and could be traced. Damn it, he was normally so careful but he didn't ask himself the right questions this time. To be honest they just came to me as well.

'Why did Longshadow steal the money?' and 'why was Hot Rain so intent on monetary restitution now?' it was to pay someone off. Not to mention it was not coincidental that new vampires were in his area and FOTS had attempted to place spies in his mist. He had been lucky the girl was in love with his child and loyal to him. I rolled all of it over and over in my mind searching for the connection. I was sure I had the connections, but it seemed too simple.

Then there was the matter of his maker, the imbecile had dropped off the face of the earth. I had always kept tabs on Ocella and made myself aware of his comings and goings, but as of late he was a ghost. I hoped he had met his final death but no reports had been filed. There were a couple of strange phone calls that I traced between him and New Orleans but I had no proof he had called the bitch!

I needed to talk to Eric, I needed my little Viking. I knew there was a connection lying just on the cusp of my thoughts and when I would almost have it, suddenly it would disappear in the mist. My Viking is the chess master, we need him. Shit Viking, answer the damn phone! I thought over and over. It would be okay. She would be safe and he would be okay. If only I could talk my heart into believing that was the truth. My beloved reached for my hand and whispered,

"My dearest one all will be well. Your Viking will keep your little telepath safe, fear not. He loves her more than he loves even you, and that is saying something." He smiled as he patted my hand and even though he was being snarky, the comment made me feel better for a moment. I ran all the possibilities through my mind as I picked up the phone and said to the pilot,

"Do whatever you have to do to land this plane at the private landing strip I told you about in Shreveport. Do it and do it NOW! The faster you get there the more money I will pay you and if you have a car waiting for me when we land I will triple the fee." You could actually feel the plane increase its speed. I was suddenly happy! Sometimes it was good to be Queen.

**PPOV**

I awoke to a heavenly smell and I instantly realized I was being held with my hair stroked. I did not even open my eyes I simply sighed and said,

"MMMM Belinda." Our lips met without me opening my eyes and it was a soft sweet kiss.

"Did you have a good day, love?" _LOVE? Did I just call her love?_

"Yes. Sookie made me breakfast and she let me eat as many brownies as I wanted, it was great. She gave me a makeover and I think Eric likes me!" she said happily and almost childlike. It was obvious to me that she had not had many happy moments so I was thrilled Sookie and Eric had helped her have some today and this evening.

"You are beautiful, but then again you always are to me and I am glad you had a good day. What do you want to do tonight?" I asked as I feather light kisses on her face and stroked her back gently. It was so hard not to touch her. She cuddled against me and said,

"Well Sookie said she is going to talk Eric into letting us have a girl's night out! We can go dancing and just have fun! Maybe we can go to one of those spas that cater to Vampires and get mani/pedi's and spray tans!" she giggled the last part for my benefit.

"If that is what my sweet girl wants then that is what we will do." I said as I stroked her face and kissed her again. She pulled me closer and as our kiss broke she rubbed her face on my neck. She looked at me very seriously and said,

"Are you hungry? Will you let me feed you?" she moved her hair to one side, but I stopped her.

"I would love to taste you but you do **not** have to feed me if you don't want to do it." I smiled softly at her.

"I want to it feels so good. I want to feel good, please." She rubbed down my arms and kissed my neck.

"Belinda, there is a place I can feed on you that will bring you great pleasure but it is VERY intimate. Would you like me to show you?" I asked with so much hope.

"Yes, oh yes please." She whimpered.

"May I undress you?"

"Please."

I took my time. I wanted to remember this time and not last night when she had been so bloody, burnt and bruised. I slid her shirt from her shoulders and kissed down her neck to the front of her bra. I pulled it from her slowly and kissed each breast tenderly. She arched herself into my mouth. I licked and French kissed each nipple before making my way to her pants. I slipped them off her as she raised her hips and I caught her panties with them so she now lay bare before me.

"Beautiful, oh my love, you are so beautiful. Look at you, so perfect." I kissed my way down her body and hooked her left and then right leg and placed them over my shoulders. I then cupped her ass in my hands as I brought her sweet pussy to my mouth. Damn I had dreamed about this. She was panting and squirming as I kissed her sweet little slit up and down several times before I started licking. I pushed my tongue between her folds and just lavished her with pleasure. I took my thumbs and spread her apart so I could get a better angle on her throbbing little nub. It was pulsing and she was moaning my name as I felt myself get wet. I would not wait to taste her cum anymore. I pressed her hard and fast; she came screaming my name. I drank her down and while she was still in her orgasm induced haze I turned my head to the inside of her leg and feed. She tasted so damn good, better than anyone else I had ever tasted.

"Mine! Tell me, your mine, please say it…" I was babbling.

"I am yours! I will be whatever you want, whatever you need. Oh Pam please let me love you?" She said as she rolled me to my back. She licked down my neck and kissed my nipples. She was gentle and it was obvious she was not experienced with a woman but she did just fine. She kissed me again on my mouth as she climbed down my body as she settled herself between my legs.

"If I do something wrong, you'll tell me?" she asked sweetly.

"You will not do anything wrong, just kiss me, kiss my pussy like you would my mouth." She moved again so she could rest her wet pussy on my leg. She was humping my leg while she pleasured me and I was in heaven. Oh the things I would teach her. I would love her and…. Shit, did I say love again?

**SPOV**

I dressed in "my" room and I was recovering from some good old fashioned Viking lovin' when I thought I would use Eric's relaxed state to my advantage.

"Eric, baby, I was thinking," he turned to look at me cautiously with a raised eyebrow when I continued "that Belinda, Pam and I could use a girl's night out. Would that be okay with you?" I purred a little when I asked.

"That sounds fine as long as you stay together and in Shreveport. I don't want you anywhere near Bon Temps. We still have to find the shooter." He answered much to my surprise.

I heard the elevator and knew that Pam and Belinda where on their way up so I got ready to spring the good news! Pam and Belinda were as excited as I was for some girly fun. One hour later we were ready to go and my Viking kissed my cheek before we headed out for a night of dancing, manicures and pedicures! We were going to have a blast!

**EPOV**

I was happy that Sookie was having a good time! I could feel her amusement through the bond. I knew she was actually right down the road, not even a mile away, and that gave me a sense of security knowing I could get to her in a mere moment if need be. I was actually getting some work done tonight in my office instead of making love to her all night, not that I was complaining but I do have responsibilities. That's when I remembered I hadn't checked my private line before I left the house! That was why I don't normally get up when I rise early because it makes me sluggish and I made a foolish mistake. I was getting ready to pick up the private line that I had here at Fangtasia when my office door flew open and in walked a familiar figure.

"She is in grave danger. Where is she?" the cloaked figure demanded just as I felt a strange sense of confusion coming from Sookie's side of the bond.

**A/N: Here we go my little minions, hold on to your fangs! and please review! It is like crack and I need it. HUGS:)**


	16. Chapter 16 Sookie's First Faerytale

Chapter 16 – Sookie's first Faerytale

A/N: Keep in mind that my story is off cannon a little bit in that Niall is a little bite older than Eric (instead of Eric being a little older like in the story) I could have written around it but this way was easier on me. Just remember easy on mommy = more lemons for minions later.

I love my Content Editor kjwrit and my beloved BETA sassyvampmama who edited this chapter from her death bed. She rocks!

**Shout out to Univ. of El Paso, TX and my FF Girls reading group! Teewhy1977 you make those girls do their own reviews you are too good to them and to me! Love you girl!**

**LAST TIME: **

**EPOV**

**I was happy that Sookie was having a good time! I could feel her amusement through the bond. I knew she was actually right down the road, not even a mile away, that gave me a sense of security knowing I could get to her in a mere moment if need be. I was actually getting some work done tonight in my office instead of making love to her all night, not that I was complaining, but I do have responsibilities. That was when I remembered I had not checked my private line before I left the house! That was why I do not normally get up when I rise early it had made me sluggish and I in turn had made foolish mistake. I was getting ready to pick up the private line that I had here at Fangtasia when my office down flew open and in walked a familiar figure.**

"**She is in grave danger. Where is she?" the cloaked figure demanded just as I felt a strange sense of confusion coming from Sookie's side of the bond. **

**QPOV**

I filled Eric in on my findings as we made our way to the cars. He wanted to fly on ahead, but I made him ride with us as he felt no actual distress coming from Sookie and we were only five minutes away from her by car. I explained that if they had not made their move we should not give away our advantage of surprise. He processed the information I gave him and then he said,

"Newlin, I would bet my fangs it's Newlin. He is in league with Hot Rain." He growled before he kissed my cheek, rolled down the window and flew toward the door of the club that we were fast approaching. Before I could say a word my granddaughter popped out the window after him, her beloved was shortly behind her and my King simply looked at me and smiled as he said,

"Children, they are so impatient. Come along love, let's go keep them out of trouble." He grinned knowing we were faster and could beat them all inside the club.

**SPOV**

Belinda had to run back into the house for her purse and then we were off to the races! I was giggling like a little girl! Well actually, we all were. We went to Fangs and Claws, a vampire run spa, and got the works. Pam knew the owner and got us in without an appointment. When we first arrived, I heard Pam whisper for them to treat Belinda like a princess and to give her anything she wanted. I smiled to myself as I thought, _yet another vampire in love_; I might have even giggled out loud because Pam shot me an irritated look with the trademark Northman eyebrow lift. By the time we made it to Justin's, a vampire friendly restaurant, we were in high form and I had never seen Pam happier. After dinner and champagne for Belinda and I and a Royalty Bend for Pam, we decided to go dancing at After Midnight, a poor man's version of Fangtasia, but they had a huge dance floor and an awesome DJ. The club was literally a five minute drive from Fangtasia, but After Midnight catered to Were's and other Supes' in addition to humans and vampires. I was glad to be so close to Eric, and even though I was looking forward to seeing him I could wait until we were all partied out. We were walking to the front door when Belinda reached over and took Pam's hand in hers. Just then another vampire gave a disgusted noise and rolled his eyes in her direction, causing her to suddenly pull away from Pam and apologize to her. Her eyes and head darted down, but Pam caught her by her chin and whispered,

"You may take my hand anytime, anywhere and in front of anyone. It is alright, smile for me love; I hate it when you look sad." Belinda looked up into Pam eyes and I knew that look, it said 'I love you'. That look was everything. Her smile was bright as Pam whispered,

"Remember, you are mine." As she said mine she glared at the other vampire "and if anyone has a problem with it they can take it up with my maker, Eric Northman the Sheriff of Area 5." I couldn't help myself and I piped up saying,

"Eric is also my bonded. Shall I call him and tell him some vampire who owes him fealty is dishonoring his human house-guest?" Belinda blushed at the attention, but we laid it on thick. Faster than you can say 'the drinks are comp'd' we were inside with a private booth by the dance floor with drinks in hand and our groove on (Yes I said our groove on, it was 70's night!)

We had danced for about an hour when I thought I saw Charles. Charles was a bartender that was supposed to be in BonTemp helping Sam out as a favor to me. I shook it off and decided to have another drink, what the hell, Pam was driving and my super sexy vampire could fly me home if I needed it! For once, I was really letting my hair down and having a great time. I was on my 3rd gin and tonic when I spotted some other familiar faces. The vampires that had been in Fangtasia that caused such a scene. They were talking to another vampire that was Native American. I had a strange feeling of confusion, like something was happening, or about to happen. I felt Eric's mind shifting into mine and I suddenly knew that the older vampire was Hot Rain, Longshadow's maker. Pam and Belinda were across the room and the music was loud. I tried to make my way across the room to them but suddenly Charles was in front of me,

"I am so sorry Sookie, but I must obey my maker." he said with true regret in his voice and a red tear in his eye.

"What is it with you vampires blaming your bad behavior on your makers? Who the hell is your maker?" I yelled.

"I am," and with that Hot Rain was by my side as well, "Now we don't want the Sheriff's child or her pet to be harmed do we Sookie? Let's move quickly and quietly outside." He said to me like he thought I was some normal human girl that that shit would work on.

"I don't think so. How about I kick your ass right here right now?" I growled. Somehow by this time Pam was by my side.

"Good Evening Hot Rain, what are you doing in Shreveport? Didn't you get the goat we sent to your house?" She just had to poke the bear. I was trying to light my hands, but could not get focused, oh yeah, 3 Gin and Tonics. Okay file that under need to know, alcohol impairs my powers. SHIT!

I looked at Belinda and nodded for her to get down. I opened up my mind to Pam and sent her an _'OH SHIT my powers are on the blink buy me some time,'_ when our 'friends' from the other night walked up and Pam said to them,

"You pledged your fealty to my makers bonded, you are duty bound to keep her safe." She said with no change in her tone. One thing you can say about Pam was you never saw her panic.

"We don't believe in all that shit. We believe and serve our maker." The older vamp said with a nod toward Hot Rain. Well damn it if this doesn't just keep getting better and better. Hot Rain was done talking. He was ready to go through with his plan and step one was killing me. He was hoping this would send Eric on another (another?) revenge filled rampage and a war would be waged between humans and vampires. He wanted to go back to living in the shadows. He was in league with Steve Newlin. He had told Newlin about the two -natured and it was Newlin that was shooting the shifters in Bon Temps. When it all started it was all supposed to look like an accident when I got killed, but that was before they had their full plan in place. That was where the money was going that Longshadow had stolen. It went to Newlin as good faith money to cement their partnership. The plan was fairly simple, step one: Kill Sookie Stackhouse (that part kinda sucked for me). Step two: Newlin would garner support by taking advantage of the negative publicity when notable vampire nightclub owner, Eric Northman, went on a rampage after his 'pet's' murder and killed several innocent people. Not even the AVL would be able to overcome the negative publicity they would garner if their poster boy, Eric Northman, went rogue. Step three: Newlin and the F.O.T.S. would outright attack all vampires and out the Were's and shifters in the name of saving humans. They had agreed to leave Hot Rain's nest alone because Hot Rain said he would kill the rouge vampire, Northman. The rest of their plan was a blur. I had to concentrate; I called my magic and I pulled it to me and around me as the vampires reacted,

"What is that?" Charles stuttered. He stepped back his mind was grasping at straws trying to think of a way to save me, get me out of the bar and away from his maker. The others stepped back and bared their fangs and there was a collective gasp from the club goers as they ran for cover. The club cleared as I stood shoulder to shoulder with Pam and as the humans left I lit my hands with my powerful light. Pam was moving to protect me as I realized Hot Rain not only wanted to kill me, but my bonded as well and that's when I lost my mind and yelled,

"You die tonight!" and I lunged for Hot Rain. His hand went to my throat, but before he could reach me or me him there was a cloaked figure that came between us and grabbed him by the throat. He was dangling like a rag doll. All I could see was a delicate hand from beneath the cloak with long red nails. She felt old to me, older even than Eric.

The other vampires literally looked frozen and I felt an old magic. I have no idea how to describe how I knew it was old. It was the same way I could now tell a vampire's age from the void in their head. Pam stood there looking as confused as I did. The vampires she had moved to attack just stood frozen. The cloaked figure had her back to me and I searched the room and saw Eric at the door, but he made no move to come to me. He stood perfectly still as did the other vampires that were with him, but he sent me love and strength through our bond. Behind Eric stood a beautiful female Vampire that vaguely resembled Hadley and she seemed to be concentrating on the area with one hand moving slightly in an up and down motion. I could feel magic rolling somehow between her, the cloaked figure and me, but I had no clue how or why. At her side were two more male vampires. One was closer to Eric and watching him while the other had not taken his eyes off the cloaked figure in front of me and if she was old, he was ancient. Then she spoke,

"YOU DARE TOUCH ONE OF **MY** BLOOD LINE?" her voice was the same cheesy vampire voice they use in every vampire movie I have ever seen, but on her it was melodic and soothing. She was obviously from Romania or somewhere in Eastern Europe and she was obviously delusional if she thought I was hers. The ancient vampire moved and was by her side as he asked,

"Dearest One, shall I take care of this for you?" he spoke so tenderly to her it was obvious to me that she was his everything.

"Yes, my beloved, kill them all for this act of defiance against the royal family." She growled.

"Wait! Don't kill Charles; he only wants to be free of his maker. He did not want to do this. He was trying to find a way to save me." I yelled and hoped no one realized I had read that from Charles' mind. He had been standing there planning a way to give me time to get away. She still had her back to me, but turned slightly to acknowledge me before she turned knowingly to Charles and whispered.

"Do you wish to be free of your maker?" it was a purr and growl all rolled into one.

"Yes Mistress, I do. He is cruel and I do wish to be free. I would never willingly hurt Miss Stackhouse." He said with his head down, not really believing that she would help him. She turned back to Hot Rain and said evilly,

"It is a pity when a child has been treated so badly that they turn on their maker, but I will gladly grant him his wish." And with that she snapped his neck with one hand, to incapacitate him as she handed his limp body to the ancient vampire and whispered to Charles,

"Go pledge your fealty to The Northman now!" Then she looked at the ancient vampire and said, "Like I said, kill all of them, except Charles, and take this one's heart just to be sure." She purred as she handed Hot Rain to him.

"Yes, my Queen." He replied.

Queen? Did he say Queen? Shit, the only Queen I know wants to kidnap me and move me to New Orleans as her new little pet. Well fuck that shit, I thought as I lit my hands and I was about to bring on the pain when Eric finally spoke,

"No Sookie, don't hurt her!" he exclaimed as he moved a prostrated Charles out of his way and he placed himself between me and the mysterious vampires.

"Eric what the hell is going on? Who are these people? Why did all of the other vampires freeze?" I demanded as I did a quick check to our joint little bond to make sure Pam and Belinda were okay. Pam was holding Belinda by the bar near the beautiful female vampire that favored Hadley and I noticed she was staring intently on Belinda.

"Friends, Sookie they are our friends." He smiled as he wrapped me in his arms for a hug before releasing me and turning to the cloaked figure as she spoke.

"A friend is that what I am now?" she purred. She was about to piss me off when she laughed a full laugh and said,

"Hello my little Viking – you and your plans. You always cause me such problems! Why on earth do I ever go along with them?" she paused as she smiled at Eric and then answered one of my questions, "They are not frozen exactly, they are in stasis because of Lilli's magic." She explained as Eric grinned and bowed from the waist and whispered,

"Hello Laurell, My Queen." OH, this was Laurell; that meant the others were Marcus, Alexander and Lillianna. Just then she removed her cloak and I was not prepared for what I saw. She was a taller more beautiful version of Aunt Linda who I vaguely favor myself, but she had my daddy's eyes. I had never seen a clear vision of her from Eric's mind. That time period in his memory was always so muddled and closed off to me. Laurell turned her attentions to me as she took me in her arms and smiled as she said,

"My dearest Sookie, oh little one you are my Fintan's granddaughter. Just look at you!" she hugged me as my mind spun. I went into over load and promptly passed out. Now I am not a fainter, but sometimes you just have to cut your losses.

**EPOV**

We finally got the girls back home. Everyone but Belinda, Pam and I were stuck on the pool deck since Sookie was not able to invite them inside. I laid Sookie on a couch on the pool deck. The pool deck ran the length of the kitchen and den so I opened the patio doors in the den and the French doors in the kitchen to at least give the impression of my guest being allowed in the house. Pam was pissed she didn't get to fight, Belinda was a wreck just from the thought of Pam or Sookie being hurt, and Sookie was still unconscious. All in all, I would have to say I would not be approving anymore girl's nights out anytime soon.

"Pamela, after careful consideration I have decided there will be no more girls' nights out!" I growled.

"Oh this is soooo not my fault! You are not going to railroad me into being responsible for her danger magnet ass!" she pouted.

"What did you say to Hot Rain right before he attacked Sookie? Was that your fault when he lunged for her throat? You did see him lunge for her throat didn't you Pamela?" I demanded.

"I simply asked him if he got the goat I sent him since **you** kept forgetting. And yes I saw what happened because I was in the thick of the fight, not standing at the door being an onlooker." she said proudly and with a little bite.

"You just love to poke the bear don't you?" I snapped.

I was not mad at Pam so much as I always wanted her to rethink every battle. I always wanted her to ask herself, _'what did I miss, what could I have done better, did I cover all my bases?'_ I always wanted her to be able to fight efficiently and effectively. I would never have a child that could not defend herself or himself. I would never make a mistake like that again. I could not be everywhere, every time, she had to be able to defend and protect herself. This is one of the ways we ensure that; our banter back and forth allows us to go over the battle line by line. She was about to get really wound up when she pouted,

"Me poking the bear worked in this case! It bought Sookie the time she needed to concentrate so she could fight. _Apparently _she can't drink alcohol and use her powers." She explained with her little raised eyebrow and it did calm me some. Then we heard a tiny voice; a voice that was scared.

"Please don't fight. Please don't yell..." It was little Belinda looking at me with those damn brown doe eyes of hers filled with tears that screamed 'I am scared'. I immediately calmed myself and before Pam could move I picked Belinda up into my arms. I held her close and rocked her gently. It was not lost on me that I was beginning to react like Sookie to people's pain. All Belinda had ever known was that yelling comes before the beatings. Of course she was scared. She was not yet used to how Pam and I communicate when we are scared ourselves, or how we would work though things. She thought we were about to start throwing blows. _'The poor little angel,'_ I thought.

"There, there little angel everything is alright. Pam and I work things out this way. I would never hurt her and she would never hurt me. We are safe and so are you." I cooed. She nodded her head and clung to me for a moment. I then handed her to Pam and whispered,

"Pamela, I think maybe you should take her to bed or at least down to your room." I nodded before adding, "And Pamela, I love you. I saw you stand shoulder to shoulder with my bonded. You were beautiful and brave. We will work through the battle plan and what your next move would have been later." She nodded at me as she smiled and walked away with Belinda.

I looked to the couch where Sookie lay motionless and asked,

"Marcus, should I call Dr. Ludwig? She has been unconscious for over 15 minutes." I requested.

"No just give her some time, her heart rate is evening out and her breathing is returning to normal. She will be fine." He assured me, and when a vampire over 3000 years old tells you something you can take it for gospel. So I turned my attention to Laurell. She was brushing Sookie's hair and sitting on the floor in front of the couch on the deck where Sookie was lying. I heard her whisper,

"It is alright my little great-granddaughter your Gammy is here now." She smiled and so did Lillianna, but this statement set me off!

"She's your great granddaughter? Really Laurell and you didn't think I needed this information?" I yelled as I picked up Sookie and walked inside knowing none of could follow me due to Sookie not being able to invite them inside. Yes it was immature, but it had been a hell of a night. Laurell yelled after me.

"Don't you raise your voice at me, Viking! I had no idea who she was when you first called me long ago. That twit of an ex-husband of mine didn't explain it to me until the night I made the phone call to him for you. I never even knew her name, Fintan never told me and his magic hid her so well for so long. I thought she was safer without me so I finally quit searching." She said sadly as I marched back through the open door toward her and demanded,

"You were married to Niall? You're Fintan and Dermot's mother? Lilli, she was coming to see you when she first met Alex at the waterfall…shit…Do you not trust me? How could you all have not told me all this? You have been my Queen for over 950 God damn years Laurell, at some point you should have told me! She is the girl you had me search for 20 years ago isn't she?" I yelled question after question, as I pointed to Sookie while realization after realization just kept hitting me in the face.

"Yes to all that. Yes, I was married to Niall. Yes, I am Fintan's and Dermot's mother. Of course I trust you I just never talked about it all after Marcus turned me. I should have told you during the war." she answered to all before adding, "and yes, she is the little girl I had you search for. I finally decided if you could not find her or Fintan, then there was no use trying. If you, my great Viking, or my beloved King Marcus could not find either of them, then no one could. We were never able to find Sookie, Fintan, Nialla, my Lilli's lost Grandchild, and now Dermot is missing too. " She said sadly before continuing, "I wanted to tell you during the war that I had been the High Queen of the Fae Realm, and that I was Einin, Lillianna's grandmother, but it kept Lilli safer for no one to know she was mine or that I was Einin. Very few remembered me and the drama that surrounded me leaving Fae. I thought it was better to let sleeping dogs lie." She looked so sad. I could not comprehend what I was being told.

"Why did Niall go along with the treaty when he knew it was you, Fintan's mother holding him for ransom?" I asked with great confusion.

"Niall did not trust Marcus. He feared Marcus not me. Marcus had to 'get tough' to free me from Niall back in the day so he knew what Marcus was capable of and what he could do. Although, he never really understood how much Marcus loved me and that he would never harm me or my children. I knew my son was in no danger and so did Fintan. Sometimes I think Marcus was more of a father to him, well to both my boys, than Niall ever was," she tried to explain, but I was unable to take anymore so I changed directions by asking,

"We will discuss this later. For now does anyone know how they found the girls tonight?"

"One of your cars must have a tracking device on it. We may need to move to a safe house." Laurell suggested as she seemed very relieved to stop talking about the past.

"First off, none of my vehicles have a tracking device on it. Secondly, the house is secure. It is in Sookie's name and it is warded." I smiled and so did she as she said,

"My clever boy; you were always my clever boy." She smiled as she hugged me and I relaxed against her. I leaned down and rested my head on her shoulder and she gently stroked my hair. "There, there my little Viking, your queen has you. You are safe now my littlest vampire." She cooed to me and just let me close my eyes and rest for a moment in her arms. I pulled her to me and held her close as I felt Marcus embrace us both. He patted me on my back and smiled at us. He had always enjoyed the special bond I shared with Laurell, he had never been jealous only supportive. She was my mother; I don't know how else to explain it. It was unique and hard to explain, but it gave him security to know there was another who would defend her as he would. He glanced past us at Sookie which made me ask,

"Marcus are you sure Sookie is alright?" Before he could answer me it would seem the mentioning of her name roused her. Sookie rolled over slowly and looked out to me and said,

"Baby, my head hurts and my mouth feels fuzzy. I dreamed about Gran. She was brushing my hair and holding me. Oh Eric, it felt so good to be with her." Her smile was dreamy and it was obvious to me she was not fully with us just yet. I walked inside the house and whispered,

"Lover, would you like a glass of water and some aspirin?" I asked gently.

"Mmmhmm, I do." She said as she closed her eyes and rolled back over on the couch.

I pointed at Laurell, Marcus, Alex and Lilli and motioned for them to come with me. They all walked down the deck to the patio off the kitchen with me as I rummaged around for the aspirin bottle and we continued to talk through the open door.

"How are we going to handle this Laurell? What are you going to tell her?" I asked as I poured Sookie a large glass of ice water. She drew a breath that she did not need and told me,

"I will simply tell her the truth. I am her great grandmother, I love her very much, she was hidden from me but I have found her now and I will never let her go again. I will explain my heritage, how I was basically forced to marry Niall, how I never loved him and how Marcus saved me. I will tell her that there has never been a day that I have not thought of her. I will tell her how I had you search for her when she was a child. I will tell her the cold hard truth, but from what I know of her she will appreciate that and thank me for it. I will tell her everything." She said with a tear in her eye. It was in that moment we all heard movement at the kitchen door, it was Sookie.

"Did he love me? Did Fintan love me? Why did he leave me? I was so alone." she cried. She was so strong and so powerful and sometimes that it was easy to forget how abused she had been as a child. She had been misunderstood and never accepted by her parents, then the death of her parents nearly destroyed her, she had a brother that was just now becoming someone she could depend on and then there was what happened with her horrible Uncle. My heart ached for her as Laurell spoke.

"Yes little one, he did love you very, very much. I know you don't know me, but I love you too. Oh baby, Gammy loves you so much!" Laurell wept. It was something to see and hear an ancient vampire like her declare her love and loyalty to a human, but Laurell was well… she was Laurell. Sookie launched herself into her arms. They stood and just held onto each other. It was so precious to see I damn near cried, and Lilli did cry. Sookie, being the perfect Southern Belle that she was, immediately realized she had guests. Even in that sad moment she whispered,

"Won't you all please come inside?" Laurell and Sookie stayed attached to each other as they walked back into the house. Sookie stayed quiet for a few moments until she asked with hesitation,

"Laurell, Gammy…?" Will you please tell me everything? I thought my great-grandmothers name was Einin? That is what Claudine said." She whispered.

"Come little one, I will tell you a story. One of heartbreak, plots, twist – turns and love, a real 'faery' tale. And you can call me whatever is more comfortable for you. Sometimes Lilli calls me Gammy when we are alone and Laurell in public, but it is up to you." She smiled as she led Sookie back toward the den and we all followed.

**Laurell POV/ Sookie's 1****st**** Faerytale**

Once I settle Sookie down on the couch Eric sat beside her and took her hand. I know that other vampires would never understand my love for my human/fae line or the fact that I loved it when they called me Gammy. But I dare them to say a word to me on it. I decided I would tell my great-granddaughter her very first faery tale. Just like I would have if she was still a little girl and just for a split second when I began my tale, I saw a sweet little girl in Sookie's eyes. I loved how Eric held her close. I was happy with her choice in mates, and all this went round and round in my mind as I began to spin my tale.

"_Once upon a time, long, long ago in a place far, far away, there lived a simple girl. She only wanted to be loved. She was the daughter of a half Fae mother and a full Fae father. She was a happy child, even when her parents' marriage ended. She was glad to leave the Faery realm and go back to her mother's home land in Eastern Europe. The little girl had been called Einin at her father's request. It was a Sky Fae name, but her mother had always called her Laurell, and that was her preferred name. She was lucky in that she could pass for full Fae and she had great power, a power that rivaled the great Morgaine. Morgaine was an ancient faery queen who foretold of a Faery who would start a lineage that great power would fall from. _

_One day Laurell caught the attention of a faery named Niall. Laurell's mother was recently deceased and her father pushed her to marry Niall, for you see he was a prince. He was a direct descendant of Morgaine. Now the girl, she was a young girl and had no one to turn to so she did as her father asked and married Niall, even though she knew in her heart of hearts that she did not love him. Niall was kind to her at first and gave her lots of attention, time and sometimes space. He was a patient man, and then one day she gave herself to him. She thought that if she was intimate with him it would make her love him. She was very sad the next day when he was so happy and so sure she loved him, for she did not. _

_But there was a wonderful thing that came of it as she had two beautiful twin boys and they were a handful. They were bright boys, loving and kind. She named the Fintan and Dermot. Her boys became her reason for living and she was a young mother so she was a playmate to them as well. Dermot and Fintan filled a void in her life and made living in Fae a little easier on her. The boys were about fifteen when they seemed to notice their Mother was not as happy as they had always thought, but instead she was very sad. Fintan was particularly worried about her and become a protector to her. Fintan would make up reasons to spend every spare moment with her. She taught him her magic and it once again gave her a purpose and a reason to live. She was just now realizing she had never truly been loved by a man. _

_Then, there was a summit between a vampire clan and her husband's people so she was required to be the hostess. She was not afraid of vampires for she was powerful, so she was excited at the prospect of meeting new people who had seen and done so much; people who had so many experiences. Niall had long since given up on her loving him but he would not let her go. He had also stopped being so kind to her and would use any excuse to belittle and embarrass her. He took her with him to these meetings, but would not listen to her input as he had always done in the past. It hurt her. On this one particular night he was hurtful with his comments to her and she left and went to a lake that was outside. She was alone for a long time as she sat and cried by the lake and then at sunset there was a beautiful man who appeared and smiled at her. It was the most beautiful smile she had ever seen."_

I paused for a moment from my story to look at my King, husband, lover, maker and best friend. Marcus smiled gently at me as I continued my tale for Sookie who was looking at me with great interest.

"_He introduced himself to her as Marcus. He was the King from a nearby area of my homeland. He asked her why she was crying. He said that someone so beautiful should not cry such desperate tears. That was all it took and her tears increased. He asked her again why she cried and she just spilled her entire story out to him as they sat by the lake together. He moved and put his arm around her to comfort her and she was never afraid of him. She had never felt safer in her entire life as she did in that moment in his arms. He told her how she should not be treated this way and that no woman deserved to be treated the way that she had been. He was kind and she was not used to kind. Soon there was a loud noise and they were surrounded by guard, Royal Fae and his Guards too it seemed. There was quite a fuss being made because they were missing from the meetings. Apparently they had talked for three hours. It would be 5 months before she saw him again. It was horrible for her."_

I paused again to look to my beautiful Marcus, my savior, as he rose to come stand behind me and he gently place a hand on my shoulder. Those five months had been hard on him too I found out later. I then noticed Sookie looked tired so I decided to go for the abridged version of my life story.

"_Five months later there was another summit and she sought out Marcus. They talked for hours and walked in every garden on the castle grounds. On the third night of the summit there was a ball. They danced and it was obvious to everyone that they had feelings for each other. Niall was furious and he flew out on to the dance floor and ripped her from Marcus' arms. He threw her to the ground and called her horrible names. Marcus defended the crying faery and picked her up off the floor. He told Niall he was a coward and a man of NO substance if he would go so far as to hurt the mother of his own children. It was then that Fintan and Dermot took their mother to her room; she had long since stopped sharing a bed with Niall. She sat on her balcony and cried when suddenly, Marcus appeared out of the night sky taking her in his arms and he kissed her. It was heaven. She knew she should ask him to go, but she cried and begged him to hold her for just one more minute. She was so sure that she meant nothing to him really, probably just a conquest, but he was already her everything. She looked at him and said,_

"_Please hold me for one more moment. Let me pretend for one more moment that you are mine and that I am loved. Please, I know it is probably silly to you but I need this, I need you to hold me and lie to me. Tell me you won't leave me again. Tell me you love me and that you will keep me safe." _

_Much to her surprise he held her close and told her he would never leave her or abandon her. He took her and her boys with him that night to his castle. He was kind and good. He loved her and showed her every night how much. It took sometime but he eventually freed her totally from her marriage to Niall. He never left her and he made sure the boys were never kept from her. They were able to live with her and their father, it was part of the arrangement Marcus worked out with Niall. When her boys were of age she had her husband, lover and best friend become her maker and they lived happily ever after or from crisis to crisis, I guess it depends on how you like your love stories." _My story was over but I had more to say,

"I did look for you Sookie. I had Eric looking for you from the time you were around 4, when I found out about you until just a few years ago, but we could not find you or Fintan. I looked for you baby, I swear." I smiled as I finished everything I had always wanted to say to her and Sookie smiled back at me and then she was fast asleep and Eric, Lilli and Alex were in down time. I looked to Marcus, who whispered,

"Just like old times, the kids are all asleep, let's have some fun!" Marcus purred at me as I pried myself from Sookie's arms and fell into the arms of my beloved.

**SPOV**

I awoke to a sweet sight, but one that no granddaughter wants to see. My great-grandmother was making out with her husband, my grandpa for all practical intents and purposes.

"EWWWW…." I rolled my eyes and so did Marcus.

"Watch it little one," Marcus laughed.

We all laughed together and then I remembered something that Hot Rain had thought earlier in the night. I began to explain the situation to the others. I told them that I heard he wanted to kill me to start a war, and that he was in league with Steve Newlin, and that Newlin was the person responsible for the two-natured shootings. I told Eric we needed to call Jason and Sam to warn them and that I would call Andy Bellefleur to give him a heads up. Ever since I saved Andy from being framed into being Lafayette's killer he had taken my advice more seriously. When Eric and I returned from making our phone calls to Jason, Sam and Andy I was then able to explained the 3 step plan that I had pulled from Hot Rain's mind I then asked,

"What did he mean when he said he hoped it would make you go on '**another'** revenge filled rampage?" I looked at Eric and he looked lost. He blocked the bond completely as he walked to where Marcus and Laurell sat and he sunk down in between them like a sullen child. He put his head in his hands and as they put their arms around him he whispered,

"Pam was not my first child. I had another. Her name was Lydia."

**A/N: mmmmaaaawwwwww….. Oh my little minions… hold on to your fangs! Remember plot now lemons on 18, one more chappy to wait. HUGS**


	17. Chapter 17 Lydia and Nialla

**Chapter 17 – Lydia and Nialla **

A/N: Here we go my little minions! **HOW PROUD OF ME ARE YOU? A WHOLE 2 DAYS EARLY.** I love my Content Editor kjwrit sooooo much! She rocks! My sassyvampmama Beta is the bestest! They love me no matter how crazy I am and they put up with the fact that I can't spell and my grammar is horrible. HUGS :) ON THAT NOTE... I had to add a couple of sentences here at there after they beta'd it so all mistakes are mine not theirs!

Please review if you have time, it means so much and helps me when I get feedback. Thanks.

_As always… I own nothing! CH owns it all and she ROCKS! I love her so!_

**LAST TIME: SPOV**

"**What did he mean when he said he hoped it would make you go on 'another' revenge filled rampage?" I looked at Eric and he looked lost and he blocked the bond completely as he walked to where Marcus and Laurell sat. He sunk down in between them like a child and as they put their arms around him as he whispered,**

"**Pam was not my first child. I had another. Her name was Lydia." **

**EPOV**

I had not spoken of her in 8 centuries, it was just too painful. I had failed her. I watched her die and could do nothing to save her. How can I tell my precious bonded of my complete failure? She walked to me where I sat between Marcus and Laurell and sitting down at my feet she looked up into my eyes and surprised me yet again.

"Let me in; I will not run, I will not leave. Let me in Beloved, show me what happened." She whispered softly and I nodded as I opened up our bond I prepared to let her see my deepest, darkest secret, but Laurell softly said,

"**No** Sookie, don't make him relive it, let me tell you. Please…please don't make him go through that hell again." Her voice shook and her voice never shakes. She was always so confident and sure but in this moment she was as affected by the past as I was. It was Laurell and Marcus who had saved me that night, but they were too late to save Lydia. They had been fond of Lydia and it hurt them that she had died but not like it hurt me to lose my first vampire child.

"Eric, my sweet little Viking," she smiled at me as if she were asking a favor and said, "I want you to take Marcus, Alexander and Lillianna out to the guest house and show them where we will be staying, alright?" Laurell was as high handed as I was, but all I could do was smile and nod. She did not begin speaking until we left the room, but I did hear her say,

"Sookie if the first story I told you was a faerytale, this one is a horror story beyond anyone's imagination."

**SPOV**

I was aching for Eric. I knew he was in pain. I wanted to wrap him up in my arms and never let him go, but I knew I needed to hear what Laurell had to say.

"Sookie you have to understand it was a different time back then and Eric's maker was a cruel son of a bitch who I should have staked over 800 years ago, but Marcus and an archaic system of law prevented it. I did however make him release Eric that night. Ocella can never 'call' Eric again and he cannot control Eric anymore like he did that night." She prefaced the story to which I just nodded.

"Eric was a newborn when we first meet Ocella, he was maybe 5 years vampire. Ocella would punish Eric for nothing; it seemed he just loved to beat and torture him. Eric, being a strong warrior, would take whatever Ocella dealt out, but torture is torture, it takes its toll on your soul. He would slip away into this dark place inside himself. It would take me hours, sometimes days to get him back to himself after one of Ocella's attacks. They stayed with us several times and I always tried to protect him. It would always surprise him to feel a soft touch or be offered a gentle word. I tried many times to persuade Ocella to leave Eric with us, but he never would. They would come and go, but every time they would come Eric would fly into my arms. He was so lost. Then the last time Ocella ever stayed with our nest, I found Eric late that night beaten and bound in silver to a chair left by an open window. You see Ocella would torture him mentally as well as physically this way. Making Eric wonder if his maker would let him die or if he would come and save him. I freed Eric from his bonds, locked Ocella's room from the outside and took Eric to bed with Marcus and me." I must have looked at her with shock because she giggled and said,

"Not like that Sookie, I think of him like my son…ewww…really he is my littlest vampire, my child." She shook her head as if to clear it.

"I will never forget the way he acted when I held him in my arms, it was as if he was in shock. He was shocked someone was being kind to him. We cleaned him up, put fresh clothes on him and then tucked him into bed with us. He cuddled into bed with us and I noticed how gaunt his face was so I asked when he had fed last. Keep in mind he was still a young vampire by our standards. He was probably 70-80 years old by this time. He told me he had not fed in a week. With Marcus' consent I fed him and then when his color did not improve Marcus fed him as well. The next night Marcus convinced Ocella to let Eric stay with us. However, Ocella would not release Eric." She stopped for a moment and asked,

"Do you know what that means?" I simply nodded as my reply before she continued. I thought my heart would break but I tried to stay strong for Eric and Laurell. She was visibly shaken by what she had to remember in order to tell me this nightmare of a story.

"Eric stayed basically in bed with us the next few weeks. He was a very sick boy. We had human house servants who we taught him how to glamour and feed on because Ocella had never done so. He improved somewhat, but only seemed better after feeding from me. I fed him several times over several nights ergo our maker/child like bond. He was almost drained so it was almost like I reclaimed him into vampirism, which is strange because we don't really know who is older, Eric or myself." She sat and looked lost for a moment before she waved her hand in the air and said,

"Anyway, he got better and we taught him all we knew about everything we could think of that he would need to know. He was like a sponge. He wanted to learn, live and be happy. He loved to laugh and have fun. He was much like he is now with you, which makes me so happy to see. He always reminded me of Fintan, so full of life! He was with us for about 25 years before he struck out on his own. He still had many dark places inside him and the fear that Ocella would call him but I knew that he could call to me due to our strange little bond and that gave him the confidence he needed to leave us."

"About 15 years later he returned with a human girl in tow. She was a pistol! You think Pam is bad? Pam has nothing on Lydia, but Eric adored her. He was not in love with her, but he was enamored none the less and he wanted to turn her. He was around 120 or so and wanted a companion. I saw no harm in it so I talked him through how to do it and he turned her with her consent. She was a magnificent vampire. She could be kind to those who deserved it and equally as cruel with those who were evil. Soon Marcus and I cared for her almost as much as Eric did. Marcus and I encouraged Eric to teach her to fight but he did not. He thought he would always be there to protect her. They left us to travel the world and had 30 wonderful years together before Ocella called to Eric and demanded he come. Ocella still lived in our part of the world so I felt Eric when he re-entered the area. I was concerned but did not feel true fear from him until later that same night. I could not fly then and I tried popping, but the area was well warded. Ocella knew I would come for my littlest vampire. So I had to call to Marcus to come home and we flew to the site as quickly as we could, but we did not get there in time." She cried a single tear before she explained,

"You see, Ocella had Eric followed and he knew about Lydia. As soon as Eric left her to head for Ocella she was taken and when Eric arrived, he arrived to her being tortured. Ocella did not hurt her until Eric got there so he had no way of knowing she was there. Ocella always hides behind dark magic and tricks. Somehow he blocked Eric from feeling her fear at being taken. We never found out how. He forced Eric to watch him…hurt and torture her. When we arrived she was already gone and Eric was beaten beyond recognition. I tried to stake Ocella but he was stronger and faster than me, but not Marcus. Marcus kept him from harming me, but due to vampire laws back then what happened between Maker and Child can't be challenged by another. So Marcus could not stake Ocella, but he did beat the hell out of him and at my request forced Ocella to release Eric." It was so much to take in, but I did wonder how old Marcus actually was if he was able to overcome Ocella that easily.

"How was he? What did he say?" I choked out through my tears.

"He said nothing and as soon as he was able, he disappeared into the night. I called to him over and over but he did not respond. Then reports started coming in of massacres at different villages all over our kingdom. Marcus flew to the spot and was able to bring Eric under control. He was quite mad; driven to the darkest place in his soul. I think that was what Ocella wanted all along, for Eric to be as dark as he was. When Marcus brought him to me he was nothing but a shell. There was no life in him he was just an empty void. He would let me hold him, but my sweet boy was not there. We covered up the murders, it was the least we could do for him. We failed him; we should have forced Ocella to release him before we did. I knew what he was capable of but I thought I could keep him safe, I was wrong. " She cried softly and for a moment she stopped her story as she gathered herself. I was crying too by the time she continued.

"He did not speak for weeks; he would just sit and stare out the window. He would hold Lydia's wrap and breathe it in, I think the scent gave him some sort of comfort. He would only feed when I forced him. I thought we would lose him, but Marcus and I refused to give up hope and we would talk to him every night as I held him in my arms. We just kept trying to get through to him. Marcus would sit and tell Eric stories like he was a child and I think Marcus shared some personal information with him that helped. Marcus is so old and has seen so much that Eric normally just takes what Marcus says for the gospel. I would just sit and hold him. I would rock him like a child and sing to him. " She said with a sad smile.

"How old is Marcus?" I asked unsure if I should or not.

"He is unsure, but his time is that of the Pharaoh Ahoutmet Ra. He is between 3700-4000 years old." I think I gasped before I asked,

"You said you could be younger than Eric, but you feel so much older. How is that possible?"

"It is my Fae magic that you feel. That is how you are able to gauge the age of vampires now, it's a magic that makes a vampire a vampire. So you couple that with my Fae abilities and that is why I feel older than him. It is probably also what made my blood save him when he was nearly drained. If you add my 'human' years in with my vampire years I could be older than him. We are just not sure, due to there were just no calendars back then." She explained with a smile. Then I asked a more serious question,

"So how long was it before Eric was better?"

"He began trying to do normal things about 3 months after he started talking again. He would get Marcus or me to take him out of the bedroom at first. He was did not want to do anything alone. Then gradually he began to go outside again. He didn't go out on his own for around twenty years and even then he had no joy. We were attacked one night and he just snapped into warrior mode and saved us all. He and Marcus make quite a team. He was a hardened warrior who protected us so he continued in that line of work, I guess you would say, when he struck out on his own. He hired himself out as an enforcer to royal courts around Europe. He did other things that worried me, but I understood he was lonely. He needed to feel something even if it wasn't real. He was alone for a very long time before he made Pam and that seemed to give him a sense of purpose again, but he did not get better until… Oh I would say about a year ago, he called me and told me this little telepath just wandered into his bar; that was the first time I heard the joy back in his voice, the night you found him." She smiled a mother's smile of approval which was weird since she was **my** Gammy. (Me jealous? noooo)

About that time Eric and the others returned. I flew into his arms. I was kissing him and holding him so tight. He smiled into my neck and whispered,

"Now you know how I feel, when you tell me how your uncle hurt you or of the things Compton did to you. It is horrible to not be able to take the pain away for the one that you love." He said as he held me tight as if he held me tight enough I would forget what I just learned about his past.

"I WILL KILL HIM ERIC. If he EVER comes near you again, he dies!" I said in a voice that was not mine and Laurell smiled and said,

"Sookie, it is impolite to pull power from your Gammy and Cousin Lilli without asking little one." She smiled and shook her finger at me in a teasing manner.

"What do you mean?"

"You magic is your own, but over the past few days due to your lack of control you have pulled from your family's magic, me in particular."

"I am so sorry!" I stammered.

"It is okay, I love that we are already connected. I was glad however that Niall told me about you before the meeting though. It would have scared the blood out of me if it would have happened to me without that knowledge." She laughed.

"So when my voice changes and how I just knew not to let Breandan and the others see all of my power… It was you, you were the soft voice I could hear directing me?"

"Yes. You are pulling magic from the family, Lilli and myself are who you seem to key in on so far. It is my power that resonates inside you and that is a good thing, but we have to teach you how to control it. Especially with all the vampire blood you have in you. You will be a POWERFUL little faery princess." She paused for a moment before changing gears.

"Eric there is something I have to tell you. I am so sorry, but my people have lost Ocella we do not know his whereabouts. I did catch a couple of calls to New Orleans but I have no proof he is in league with the pathetic excuse for a queen you are forced to serve." She advised him.

"I see." Is all he said and I just knew in my heart I needed to get him downstairs to our bedroom. I needed to be alone with him and help him process all this heartbreak and emotion.

"Eric, we need to go check on Pam and Belinda. Laure… I mean Gammy; will you all be okay up here? Can you get your stuff out to the guest house?" I asked.

"Yes little one, we will be fine. We will show ourselves over to the guest houses and see you all tomorrow night. Call us if you need us before dawn."

**EPOV  
**

'_Lydia, my beautiful sweet Lydia, I failed you miserably. I will not fail again; this is my vow to you. Where ever you are, I vow to teach those around me to defend themselves and I will never let those I love be lured into a trap again.' _That had been my promise to Lydia for centuries. All I could do for her was to keep those I loved safe in her name. Sookie took my hand and led me to the elevator while I tried to process the information that for the first time in 800 years Laurell did not know where Ocella was. I had a sinking feeling in my gut, and I felt true fear for the first time in that same 800 years. What if he was trying to get to Sookie or Pam? There was no way I would lose my lover or my child.

Sookie continued to stroke my hand but instead of going to our room she lead me to Pam's and knocked gently on the door.

"Come in." Pam said in a voice that was soft and soothing. It pleased me that she was finding love again even if she was not yet willing to admit it to herself. It was so easy to see in the way she would hold and speak to Belinda. Once we entered I saw Pam and Belinda sitting on the oversized sofa in the off suite to Pam's bedroom. I saw Belinda's red puffy eyes and knew how scared she had been to lose one of us and then add to the fact that Pam and I had scared her. Suddenly this moment was no longer about me; it was about "my" girls.

I picked Belinda up and sat with her cuddled against my chest with her facing Pam who took my left arm and Sookie took my right. I can't explain the connection I feel to this little human girl. Belinda feels like family, like a daughter, I thought aimlessly as I kissed Sookie on top of the head and whispered,

"Pam and I scared Belinda earlier with our banter." I knew Sookie knew how Pam and I communicated.

"That's not what scared me, not really; I was already terrified and confused." Belinda whispered.

"What is wrong?"

"I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. I have never had this…"she said as she motioned to the way we were all basically wrapped around her offering her love and support, "and I am terrified for it to end either by me being thrown away, one of you being hurt, or it just being taken away somehow beyond any of our control. I always get left." She whimpered. I stroked her hair and told her,

"Belinda, I am over a thousand years old, and Pam is more powerful than most 200 year old vampires because I have taught her to fight and my blood runs through her veins. Sookie is a power house in her own right, we can hold our own. As far as this ending, it will not. It has been a long time since I have lived in a nest but I enjoy having you here with my child. I won't leave you, Sookie won't leave you and Pam won't leave you. We are a family now, alright?" I asked and she nodded, and I asked, "Now what confused you?"

"Something happened tonight and I think I need to tell you all." It was a soft sentence full of hesitation, "During the fight I was soooo scared and then I got confused because something weird happened to me. I think that's part of why I'm scared, I don't know what it means." She confessed.

"What happened little angel?" I had taken to calling her that and it got me a raised eyebrow from Pam.

"Well, when the other vampires showed up I didn't know if they were on our side or not and I got REALLY scared. I looked down at my finger nails and…well… they kinda glowed, like little flash lights." She said the last part really fast and buried her head in my chest. Sookie stood up and got in front of Belinda, in between her and Pam. Sookie sat down on her knees as she looked up at her and said,

"Belinda, do you know your biological family?"

"Not exactly, my momma died when I was born and my dad had to leave my mom before I was born. My grandpa didn't like my dad. They had this HUGE fight when granddad found out mom was pregnant. Then he came in the middle of the night and made her go back home with him. I know that his name was Christean, but I don't know his last name. We moved constantly, and I overheard my grandpa say it was because he didn't want my dad to find me.

Then when I was six years old my grandpa died which was a good thing 'cause he was mean! It was like he hated me. He didn't want me, but he didn't want anyone else to have me either. When he died I asked my grandma if she would help me find my dad. She called some people who had been friends with my mom in college, but no one really knew anything about Christean other than he just showed up one day and that mom really loved him. One of mom's friends said that she would see him from time to time and that he was looking for me. She took our information so if she saw him again she could tell him where I was, but my grandma died not long after that and I went into foster care, so even if he was looking for me, I doubt he could have found me. Grandpa hated him for some reason and wouldn't let me take his name. My last name is not my mother's last name either it's my grandma's maiden name. Grandpa didn't want Christean to ever find me. I don't think my dad really looked for me though. I think the woman just told me that to make me feel good. So I could pretend my daddy was out there somewhere looking for me, so I could have a fairytale to hold onto." When she finished her tale her eyes were full of tears again as Pam pulled her into her arms and whispered,

"It's his loss. You are wonderful, my love. You are precious and sweet. He would have been lucky to have you as his daughter. I know that I am blessed to have you with me now. We will figure out what happened to you tonight; it could be something in your father's line, but whatever it is I will face it with you. You are NOT alone in this, alright?" Pam smiled and Belinda nodded as her stomach growled. We all laughed and Sookie said,

"Okay, midnight snack time! Come on Belinda, YOU deserve and need a brownie!" and with that we headed back upstairs together.

When we reached the kitchen, Lillianna was warming herself a true blood and Alexander was holding what looked like a purse.

"Whose purse is this?" he growled.

"It's mine." Belinda replied without hesitation.

"Well do you want to explain why it has a GPS tracker sewn into the lining?" Alex asked in an accusing tone. Before you could blink Belinda was behind me and Pam was growling. Well damn it if this night had not just been from hell.

"Joe must have done it to track her." Sookie advised, "Belinda would never hurt us. I have seen into her heart and she loves us. She will never betray us." Belinda chose then to peek from behind me to look at Alexander and Lillianna. It was the second time I noticed Lillianna studying Belinda very closely.

"Who is Joe?" Alex asked never taking his eyes from Belinda.

"It's a long story but we have dealt with it and now that you have destroyed the tracker it is truly over." I said with confidence as I watched Pam take a defensive stance in front of Belinda.

Belinda surprised us all with her next comment, "Pam, it's okay, chill, he's not going to hurt me. If he tried Eric would kick his butt anyway." Then she turned to Alex and Lilli and said, "I swear she would pee on me if she could." And she giggled before she added in a serious tone, "I am hers." And she smiled up at Pam as she said it. Pam grinned and whispered, "Yes you are."

Sookie then spoke up, "Where is Laurell and Marcus, I have a faery question."

"They walked over to the guest houses. You can ask me Sookie, I am your cousin after all and I will help you if I can." She smiled at my bonded and I felt contentment come from Sookie. She was realizing how much family she had around her now. She had Great Grandparents' and the cousin's just kept coming out of the wood work. She loved that she had a family in addition to our little nest and the fact that I was tied to her family made her even happier. The feelings of happiness flooded me and I could not help but give her a little squeeze as she asked,

"Well is there any sort of way to trace Fae lineage?"

"There are many ways, why do you ask?" Lillianna inquired.

"Well, we believe that our little Belinda could possibly have some Fae in her line somewhere." Sookie stated it very bluntly to which Lillianna's gaze fell back on Belinda again as I had noticed before. She walked slowly to Belinda while never breaking her gaze.

"Was your mother Fae or your father?"

"We don't know but I think maybe my dad. He never got to meet me and momma died when I was born, so I never knew either of them." She said softly but stayed glued to Pam's side. The next question seemed to rattle and excite Belinda.

"Was your Mother named Maggie? Was she was a student at Tulane?" Lillianna's eyes began to dampen and her voice shook with emotion.

"Yes." That was all that came out of our little angel's sweet voice. Sookie stepped up beside Belinda as did Pam because she looked like she was going to pass out.

"Did she ever say your Father's name?" she asked as she walked a little closer to Belinda.

"Yes, she told my grandma his name was Christian with and E. He spelled it funny, C-H-R-I-S-T-E-A-N." To this, Lillianna looked like she was going to pass out and Alex even seemed shaken. He face softened and she lifted her hand to Belinda's face as she spoke,

"Nialla? Is that you baby? Nialla?" Lillianna wrapped Belinda in her arms as she wept. Belinda looked confused but embraced Lillianna just the same as she and continued, "Christean is my son; it's his given name that only I call him. And his great love was named Maggie, but she and his unborn daughter were stolen from him. They were going to name her…you, Nialla. Your name would have been Nialla Brigant. You are my granddaughter." Lillianna had Belinda wrapped in her arms rocking her and holding her.

"You looked for me? You wanted me?" Belinda wept.

"Oh yes baby, we did and we do. I love you sooo much. Oh baby angel." And the two women collapsed on the floor in each other's arms, neither were able to stand anymore. I scooped them up in the pile they were in and took them into the den and deposited them on the sofa and neither one of them even acknowledged that they were moved.

Sookie then came in with Laurell, "Well Gammy, you collected yet another grandchild tonight! You are on a roll." This brought smiles from Belinda and Lillianna as Sookie and Laurell joined the pile. My mind was racing with questions. There were so many, but two had me the most perplexed. Why were Pam and I unable to sense that Belinda was half Fae? We should have been able to sense that, especially Pam. Pam had tasted Belinda. Why did Sookie have so many Fae powers while Belinda had none? Perhaps Belinda did not have the essential spark like Sookie, but it did explain why Belinda felt like family to me. It was because she was, she had Laurell and Lillianna's blood running through her veins and so did I. Then suddenly Lillianna shot up and broke me from my reverie, as she looked at me and asked,

"Oh my god we have to call Christean." She yelped to Alex before turning to me and asked, "Eric will you allow him passage into your home?"

"Of course, but he has to pop outside. There is magic that protects the house from all but Sookie." I explained. Lillianna now had the phone and was calling her son,

"Christean, I don't know how to tell you this honey but I found her. Well, to be honest, she found me. Yes, at the location I am now. Yes…" there were a few more words spoken and then the next sound was a loud pop from outside and a banging on my door. Alex and I went for the door and when we opened it Christean looked shocked for a moment, but then he recognized me and hugged Alex as he asked,

"Northman, is it true is my daughter here?" he turned to Alex with hope and fear in his eyes, "Poppa, you have found her? You are sure?"

"Yes." I answered for Alex as I pointed toward the den. With Alex's help he walked past me and straight into the den where Belinda stood with wide eyes. Our little angel stood in between Lillianna and Laurell as he smiled at her and then whispered,

"Maggie?" before stopping dead in his tracks and saying, "Nialla!" and with that he grabbed her like he was afraid she would disappear.

**A/N: Alright my lovelies I had to leave it there and I know, yet another chapter with no lemons but this is all BIG PLOT BUNNY stuff, so hang on, with all these HIGH emotions you know that there is gonna be lots of E/S/N and P/B/N coming up soon… I hope in chapter 18.  
**


	18. Chapter 18 Not all Surprises are Bad

Chapter 18 – Not all Surprises are Bad.

_**A/N : I own nothing. CH owns it all including my heart! **__**I love my content editor kjwrit (& you need to read her story The Northman Identity) and I love my BETA the wonderful sassyvampmama (Look her up and read her stuff…she rocks). As promised a chapter of just fluffy fluff! (ps..I added some smut after they beta'd so any goofs at the ESN is all my fault)**_

_**On a separate note, So just so you know, this is a LOVE story first and foremost and will be full of "OOOOOH SOOKIE and OOOOOH ERIC" moments. If that is not your cup o tea…I'm so sorry, but so far all my minions love it so I will stay true to my vision and my sweet baby minions who I love. For you my disinterested friend; I thank you for your opinion and maybe you will like my all human story that is coming up. It is more of a murder mystery with lots of less fluff…look for it in February/March 2011.**_

_**Now on to your Christmas present from me to you! The much anticipated ESN/BPN that I have promised my baby minions for 2 chappys now! I hope you love it. MERRY CHRISTMAS! **_

**LAST TIME: EPOV**

"**Christean, I don't know how to tell you this honey but I found her. Well, to be honest, she found me. Yes, at the location I am now. Yes…" there were a few more words spoken and then the next sound was a loud pop from outside and a banging on my door. Alex and I went for the door and when we opened it Christean looked shocked for a moment, but then he recognized me and hugged Alex as he asked,**

"**Northman, is it true is my daughter here?" he turned to Alex with hope and fear in his eyes, "Poppa, you have found her? You are sure?"**

"**Yes." I answered for Alex as I pointed toward the den. With Alex's help he walked past me and straight into the den where Belinda stood with wide eyes. Our little angel stood in between Lillianna and Laurell as he smiled at her and then whispered,**

"**Maggie?" before stopping dead in his tracks and saying, "Nialla!" and with that he grabbed her like he was afraid she would disappear.**

**BPOV**

"Daddy?" I whispered into the chest of the man who had enveloped me in his arms.

"Yes Nialla, I am here. I have looked for you for so long. I will never let you go again." He rocked me in his arms and it felt almost as good as when Pam did it. I reached behind me for Pam and she took my hand.

"Daddy, this is Pam. She is my…um.." I stammered but Pam saved me from my plight.

"I am Belinda's girlfriend." Pam smiled but Christean looked confused and it was not for the reason I obviously thought,

"Who is Belinda?" Was his question, not 'you have a girlfriend?' or 'don't you mean boyfriend?' he was unfazed by this vampire telling him that his daughter was a lesbian; it was my name that threw him for a loop so I just went with what he asked me,

"That is what my grandparents named me, Belinda Margaret." I tried to explain.

"I don't understand. Why did they name you? Maggie loved the name Nialla." He said and it hit me he didn't know that mom was dead.

"Daddy, I don't know how to tell you this but momma died when I was born. She died giving birth to me." I had always had guilt over that fact and now I was sure he would blame me too, but he didn't. He held me even tighter and said,

"That explains so much, I knew he lied to me. I knew Maggie would have never left me. I loved her so much and I love you. I'll never leave you again...I was only gone for an hour but it was enough time for him to steal you both…" He looked so sad, but he shook his head and then continued,

"So it's Belinda then. I'll try to remember, but I have called you Nialla for 21 years now. You will forgive me if I forget sometimes?" He smiled at me as he brushed my hair out of my face and I nodded yes in response to his question. He looked at me cautiously and then said,

"Your magic has been bound. We will have to take care of that though, don't you worry. Daddy is here now." He might as well have been speaking a foreign language because I had no clue what he was talking about. Even so he felt like home when he held me. Then he asked me something I understood but was not expecting,

"Would you like to see a picture of your mother and me? It was taken the day we found out we were going to have you."

"Yes, please." With that he handed me a picture of a young couple that were obviously in love. I flipped the picture over in my hand and it read 'my love Margaret Keillen Davies and me, summer 1989'. I saw Pam's face look shocked for a moment, but then she simply smiled and reached out to hold me.

My father looked at Pam and asked her,

"You're The Northman's child?" His voice was not the soft and soothing voice it had been it was menacing but my Pam showed no fear.

"Yes, I am." Pam answered in a menacing voice of her own as she took a defensive stance.

"If you ever hurt my daughter I will call in the stipulations of the treaty." He said while reaching to take hold of me. I was unsure what the hell he was talking about, but I did not like the way he was speaking to Pam.

"Daddy, please don't threaten Pam again, she saved my life and I love her…" I blurted before I slammed my hand over my mouth trying to will the words back in my mouth. I pulled away from both of them, but before I could run, I felt Pam grab my arm and hold onto me as she said,

"It's okay my sweet love, I know. It is alright, my love." She cooed and I relaxed into her arms. It wasn't 'I love you too', but for Pam it was close enough for me to smile. My father looked at me and smiled a bright smile,

"Ah, love… well there is nothing better than true love… Your mother Maggie was quite the romantic. It runs in the family or so I am told. She had an aunt or some relation like that, who she was named after, that could tell quite the love story. I am happy for you my daughter." He said to me and Pam continued to smile as if she had this huge secret that she could not wait to share, but that did not matter. All that mattered was that everything was right in my world for the first time since I was a very little girl.

**SPOV  
**

I hated to stop the love fest, but Belinda and I had never had our midnight snack. I mentioned that and Pam went into 'cooking' mode. We all piled into the kitchen and I was on emotional overload still needing some alone time with Eric even though I enjoyed being surrounded by family. At some point Belinda realized we were cousins and she had another little freak out. She hugged me so tight and squealed with joy. She was clapping her hands and hopped from my arms into Eric's arms. He hugged her stiffly at first, but then he smiled and kissed the top of her head. Her freak out was after the main course, but before the dessert. Belinda loved brownies almost as much as she loved Pam. I giggled to myself over that one and Eric raised an eyebrow as he smiled at me.

"Why do women love chocolate so much?" he asked as he passed me one.

"It replicates the sensation of orgasm in the brain." Pam stated bluntly as she smiled at Belinda who had chocolate cover her mouth like a little kid.

"No brownie can replicate the orgasms I give, right lover?" He knew he was embarrassing me but I just couldn't seem to care. I laughed right along with everyone and said,

"Nothing is better than you baby, nothing!" I smiled my chocolaty smile and he smiled back at me. It was that smug smirk that I love to see more and more. Especially since he had such a rough night, it was good to see he was feeling better. I knew that we still needed to talk and that there was much in him that needed to be healed but for now I was happy to hear him laugh.

I was happier 'than a pig in slop' as Gran would have said. We all sat around and talked for hours about our weird little family. I loved to hear Laurell tell stories; she was the ultimate story teller and I was pinching myself to stay awake to listen before I finally gave up and said,

"Everyone is welcome to stay, but I am exhausted and I need my bonded to take me to our bedroom." I smiled and winked at Eric. He grinned and said,

"That will be my pleasure, Lover." And he grinned, that shit eating grin that I used to hate, but now I love it.

I hugged my family goodnight. I had an awkward moment with Marcus not really knowing what to call him, but he laughed and advised me that either 'Marcus' or 'Papa' was fine. Eric and Pam had disappeared earlier and I wanted to know what that was about, but they wouldn't say. When I hugged Pam I whispered,

"Is he okay, what was that? He shut down the bond for a couple minutes." In the past it had meant horrible things when he shut our bond down, but soon I knew that was not the case. Pam smiled and said,

"Not all surprises are bad." And she gave me a wink as she turned to pick up Belinda who was falling asleep between Christean and Lillianna. "I need to get her to bed." Pam advised.

"We can put her to bed. Where is her room?" Christean asked.

"She sleeps in my room." Pam advised

"In your resting chamber?" he asked incredulously as if he did not believe her. I was just now beginning to understand what a HUGE deal it was when a vampire lets you stay in their resting chamber with them.

"Yes. She has not had a good life, she has been mistreated and it has given her nightmares. It helps her to be close to me when she sleeps. The people who took her from you died and she was alone…I should let her explain, it is not my story to tell. " Pam advised him sadly. He looked at his daughter and then back to Pam as he asked,

"You love her, don't you." It was more of a statement than the question it had started out to be.

"That is something I need to discuss with her before I discuss it with you." She said bluntly but her face softened when she looked down at a sleeping Belinda and she looked back to him and simply shook her head yes.

"Well that took 2 days longer than it should have." Eric chimed in as I giggled, but Pam just rolled her eyes and started toward the elevator with Belinda before turning and saying,

"Christean, she will be heartbroken if you are not here when she wakes. You will stay won't you?"

"Of course, I will go out to the guest house with mom and papa. I should call Preston and Bree, they will want to meet their granddaughter." He advised, before Pam, Eric and I began the trek down to our bedrooms with Belinda in tow, Christean, Alexander and Lillianna had all kissed her cheek and whispered goodnight. I waved over my shoulder to the family and said,

"I will make breakfast in the morning for any "daytime" people." I giggled ad the thought of there being any daytime people in a vampire's house, but then again Eric had given the house to me.

Once downstairs I only wanted to be alone with Eric. I wanted to hold and comfort him. It hurt me to finally know what it was that he had spent so much energy hiding from me. I pulled him into my arms as we sat down on the bed and I was finally able to ask him,

"Why did you think you couldn't tell me about Lydia? Why did you hide all that pain from me?"

"I did not want you to see what a failure I was as a maker. I thought you might change your mind about me turning you if you saw how terribly I had failed her." A single red tear fell as I continued to listen to his heartfelt reasoning.

"I could not stop him Sookie. He made me watch… he…hurt her… Sookie he ripped her apart. He took her head last so she felt it all…she was so scared. I failed her…I failed her…" His sobs overcame his ability to speak and I felt my whole body glow as I wrapped him in my embrace.

I spoke to him soft and low as I reminded him of my promise that I made to him not so many nights ago,

"Jag har sett varje smärta, varje skada och de är läkt. Om du någonsin förlorat och bara vet att jag är med dig och jag älskar dig. Du är alltid säker i mitt hjärta"

Which roughly translates to, 'I have seen every pain, every hurt and they are healed. If you are ever lost and alone know that I am with you and I love you. You are forever safe in my heart.'

He was lost and alone right now trapped in his own mind. As I shifted my mind into his mind I pushed not only into his mind, but into his heart and soul as well as I healed the part of him that he hid from me not so long ago. It was difficult to do since he was holding on to the pain as if he thought he had to bear this guilt and shame forever. The room was flooded with the light that came from me and I whispered to him soft and low in a language that I did not know but I was somehow able to speak and he finally smiled and nodded.

**EPOV **

I had held Lydia's death in my heart for so long and kept that shame to myself for 800 years. I actually felt myself fighting Sookie to hold on to it, but she soothed me with her sweet voice speaking to me in my own dead language and that of her own people. She spoke an ancient dialect of Fae that I only knew because it was what Lilli speaks and she taught it to both Alex and me. I kept trying to hold on to my shame, guilt and fear feeling I owed it to Lydia. It was my penance and a reminder to always remain vigilant. When Sookie came to my deepest fear that I would fail her and that somehow Ocella would take her from me, she finally understood. It was then that she smiled and whispered,

"No one can take me from you my beloved. Now let go. Let go of the pain let me have it. You don't need it anymore. She is in the Summerland's now and she is happy. You have to let her go." Sookie said softly and I had this very clear vision of Lydia smiling down at me from a beautiful golden field. She was waving and laughing. I heard her voice as clearly as if she had been in the room with us.

'_It wasn't your fault my maker. I love you. I died loving you, not blaming you. Please stop blaming yourself. I am safe now. I am happy. Let me go, you have to let me go Errik.'_ So I did as she asked I let her go and the vision dissipated from me as I opened my eyes again and I only saw Sookie.

"How Sookie, how did you do that?"

"I'm not sure. I just knew you had to see her to let her go and that's what happened."

"So it was real? You have the power to cross the veil?"

"Yes, I think I can. I think that is what that was." She paused for a moment and shook her head, but instead of commenting on what she was going through she was worried about me,

"How do you feel?" she asked with her little brow all scrunched up.

"Whole, I feel whole." I answered. I then had but one need, to be a part of my bonded. I needed for us to be one, "Sookie I need you. Please…" I started kissing her softly then passion fell upon us as she began stripping me down to nothing.

"Off, Sookie I want this off…" I rasped as I pulled at her clothing. She stood and disrobed quickly before settling between my legs. She began sucking me off and playing with my balls. It felt so good. She reached between her own legs and stroked deep inside herself as she sucked me. I propped up on my elbows so I could see her touching herself. When she pulled her slick fingers from herself she shocked me by pressing her wet cum covered fingers at my back entrance. She was then stroking that deep spot inside me when she took me back in her mouth and doubled her efforts.

"AH SOOOOKKIIEEE… yes…. Ahhhhh… YES!" That was my last coherent thought as I came harder than I ever had in my entire existence. I had to gather myself as she crawled up and whispered,

"How was that lover? Did I do a good job?"She grinned before getting very serious, "I wanted your first memory after being made whole to be so good, that it would replace all the bad ones from tonight."

"Sookie you are incredible Lover. I need more of you." I growled as I rolled her onto her back and whispered, "Turnabout is fair play lover. Prepare for the best sex of your life." With that I nibbled down her body to between her legs. When I finished playing with her little nub it was throbbing and she was begging. I then pulled it into my mouth and sucked it gently as she screamed. I then climbed back up her trembling, luscious body while keeping her gorgeous thighs spread open to me. I pushed into her with one slick thrust. She always feels like home to me but tonight with everything that happened she felt like my savior. I loved her so much. I came hard and so did she. Then I just held her and looked at her beautiful face.

I held her for a long time before gently settling her down on the bed below me so that I could simply gaze upon this wonderful creature. She was so beautiful and I told her so. She blushed feverishly at my statement but reached up to stroke my cheek. I leaned into the small space between us and kissed her gently at first and then I kissed her again, only this time more passionately. I sat back up and just touched her. I rubbed her lovely breasts until she begged for me to lick them.

"Please Eric, please kiss me where you are touching me…please." She arched up off the bed toward me. I did as she requested and licked her gently before sucking her luscious nipple into my mouth. I bit gently and she moaned out breathlessly, "Yes." I let my hand travel down the length of her body and rested it softly between her legs on top of her sweet sex. I cupped my hand there and just held her in my hand as I asked,

"Sookie, who does this belong to?"

"You…only you Eric…always you.." she was panting and grinding herself into my hand.

I slipped my fingers inside her and then pulled back out to wipe her wetness on her sweet little clit. She moaned with pleasure at the sensation. I rubbed her and whispered all my depraved thoughts into her ear; every fantasy in great detail, I told her of all the places I wanted to 'take' her and how I wanted to 'take' her. She was panting and yelling yes over and over. I went for broke and commanded her,

"I am going to bite you and drink from you when I push into you to fuck you Sookie and I want you to bite me too. Do you understand what I want Lover?"

"Yes, you want me to bite you and drink you while you fuck me. Oh….oh Eric are you going to fuck me hard baby?" She was moving her hips, desperate for more friction where my fingers played between her legs.

"Oh yes Sookie I am going to take you like you want me to Lover." I promised as I finally relented and rubbed her where and how she wanted. She lurched up off the bed and screamed my name as I climbed on top of her and slipped my rock hard cock into her hot slit. I pushed her body hard and rode her harder. She clawed at me and scraped her nails down my back. She tossed her head from side to side, screaming unintelligible things to me. After she came for the third or fourth time she reached her mouth up and I saw her sweet little fangs descend as she bit my neck and began to drink. I did the same and as soon as her blood hit my mouth I came hard. I collapsed on top of her and just laid there as I tried to gather myself together again.

"Oh Sookie, I love you so much." I was not sure I spoke until I heard her respond out loud,

"I love you too Eric. I love you too." And then I had to have her again. By the gods how I craved her. We made love nice and slow. I watched her watching me thrust in and out of her. I bucked hard after each and every thrust and she was panting and begging me for more. After a long time when neither of us could stand it any longer we gave in and reached our completions together. We had wrapped ourselves in each other's arms for a long time before I decided to bath her. I let her in on my plan and she giggled,

"Why do you vampires love baths so much?"

"The hot water makes us feel warm and it is yet another reason to keep you naked!" I laughed before adding, "And please don't remind me you have taken a bath with the douche." I actually smiled and felt no jealousy toward Compton. For the first time I realized he had lost her. She would never go back to him because she would never leave me. Sookie Stackhouse was mine and I was hers. I was finally all hers.

"Sookie, may I ask something of you?"

"Of course, you can Eric." She looked up and smiled that sweet 'I love you' smile at me.

"After our bath, would you scent me? Will you mark me as yours? I rest better with your scent on me." I admitted softly, much like a child would admit they sleep better with a stuffed animal. She simply smiled at me and said,

"Of course I will and you can also go to rest listening to my heartbeat, I know how much you like that sweetie." And with that I knew I was the luckiest vampire in the world.

**BPOV**

I awoke to being held and I knew that I was in our bed, mine and Pam's. How did that happen? How did it become 'our' bed in only two nights? It didn't matter I guess, it just was. I pulled her closer and kissed her without opening my eyes, much like she had me when she rose tonight.

"Mmmmm Pam, that feels nice." I whispered as I opened my eyes to look into her beautiful blue eyes. Before I could say anything else she spoke the words I longed to hear from her.

"I love you." And with that she kissed me long and hard but before it could get too out of hand she stopped. She said that she had to tell me something and she was unsure how I would feel about it, but she had to tell me everything.

"I was bonded to a wonderful woman named Keillen." She paused as I questioned,

"Keillen was my mother's middle name. Are you saying you knew my mom?"

"No, I knew the woman your mother was named after. Although I do not believe she was your grandfather's sister. I think she was your grandfather's aunt. My Keileen had a brother she was separated from when she was kidnapped long ago. You see, the age would be about right for her to be your Great-Great Aunt because she lived to be 102, although she looked around half that due to my blood." She kept stroking my hand and she looked like she was going to cry. I wrapped my arms around her and told her,

"Pam whatever it is or whatever you think I am going to say, just know that NOTHING can make me not love you. You can tell me everything or nothing. I trust you and I love you." I kissed her gently and blood red tears streamed down her face as she told me of how she save Keillen, how they bonded, how Keillen never wanted to be turned and how Keillen had died in her arms. She then told me of the promise Keillen made to her on her death bed and she looked at me for a response. I don't think my response was what she was expecting when I said,

"To be honest Pam, I am mad at and grateful to Keillen. I am mad that she didn't trust you enough to let you turn her and that she left you alone, but I am grateful if she guided me to you that night I came to Fangtasia. I am grateful that I get to love you, and Pam?" I paused to catch her attention, "I will NEVER leave you. I. LOVE. YOU. But I have to know one thing, do you love me because I remind you of Keillen or do you love me for me? When did you love me, before or after you found out I was her Great-Great Niece?"

"I loved you when I found you sleeping in my office after I got back from getting your things at Joe's, but to be truthful I 'felt' things for you I could not explain since the night you fed me. I think I was scared to get close to you. It destroyed me when Keillen died, if not for Eric feeling my distress and 'calling' me to come to him after she died… I wanted to meet the sun. I was afraid to let anyone in my heart again, but I turned around and you were just there. You were already in my heart loving me, even without me returning it to you, you were just there loving me and accepting me." She wept and I held her even closer and softly said,

"Let me love you now. Let me take away all of the doubt. I want you to lay back and feel how much I love you." I whispered. I had always let Pam take the lead in our love making since I was so new to being with woman but tonight I had no trepidation, no doubts. I knew just what to do and how to do it.

I began by undressing in front of her very slowly. I then pulled her clothes from her with no hurry. It was still hours before dawn and there was no need to rush. I just looked at her for a moment as I ran my hands over her body. She trembled at my touch and moaned slightly when I reached her breasts. I just sat beside her and rubbed her nipples ever so gently for a few moments. I watched them turn into tight little buds as she arched her back from the bed and they just begged to be licked. So I did just that, kissing and licking her nipples as she ran her hands through my hair and panted unnecessary breaths. Once I felt they had received enough attention I climbed on top of her and kissed down her flat stomach to between her sweet legs. She was squirming and moaning slightly as I reached her lovely sex. I placed several kisses on her mound of soft curls before I parted her legs and began kissing her. She ground down on my face and was beginning to beg me for more as I started licking my way up and down her wet little slit. She was speaking, but I couldn't make out half of it since she was mostly just panting,

"Please…ah, ah…yes…B…Please..love you..need…ah ah…" There was nothing coherent about what she was saying, but I smiled into her sex just knowing that I was causing this beautiful woman to lose her mind. I was done teasing her. I slipped my fingers inside her and I continued to lick her and then suddenly her whole body lurched as she all but came off the bed with her orgasm. I crawled back up her lithe body and she kissed me while licking herself off my face. Damn it, that was so hot!

"Belinda, that was…you…well hell, I don't have any words…all I can say is I love you and I want you." With that she began to show me pleasure I never knew I could feel. She took her time and lavished me with her attentions. It felt like she spent hours just rubbing and touching me. She had me so wet. I came for her over and over before she gently plunged her fingers inside both my entrances and rubbed me with her fingers curled so that I could feel her fingers rub the skin in between and the last thing I remember was screaming how good that felt before I literally saw stars. I opened my eyes to a very concerned Pam,

"Sweetheart, are you okay? You left me for a moment there." She then smiled and relaxed somewhat as I smiled back at her and said,

"You didn't bite me." I don't know why that was my first response but it was.

"It wasn't the right time. Not to mention, I was afraid you would bite me back and we need to talk before we do that. It would be your third time in taking my blood and it would bond us. I want to be sure you understand what that means long before you decide if you should do it." She explained with hesitation in her voice. She was afraid I would deny her? After what we just shared she was still scared.

"Pam, I want to be your bonded and I want you to be my maker. I love you and I am never leaving you." I reminded her of my earlier promise and she smiled as she pulled me to her and whispered,

"I love you."

**SPOV**

Alone in a huge oversized tub, where was my Viking? "Eric, where are you, baby? The water is getting cold. I'm going to run some more hot water and you better have your sweet ass back in here by the time I'm done." I laughed and felt a rumble of humor through the bond. He was up to something but I tried to remember what Pam told me, _'not all surprises are bad.'_

**EPOV**

"Yes, I need it here in two nights. Hand it to Pam when you come in the door. I have a plan."

"How will we get it to your door without her seeing? I am not exactly Fed Ex, Vampire."

"Don't get pissy with me Faery, you should just be glad I am letting you in on this at all, Niall."

"Oh alright, will Einin be there?"

"Yes, Laurell, my Queen will be here and so will Marcus. If you can't behave Faery you will leave it and not stay. No one will ruin this night for my Sookie." I had emphasized Laurell and exclaimed the rest before adding with a softer voice, "but I know that it will mean a great deal to her if you and her other cousins are here."

"You know if Sophie Anne hears you refer to her that way she will declare you a traitor and how are you explaining all of us in one place to Sookie? Surely by now she knows of the bad blood between her grandmother and me. Not to mention Marcus." He asked me several questions, but I decided to go right to the heart of the matter.

"Do you want to be a part of Sookie's life?"

"Yes."

"Then I suggest you get over your petty differences and behave when you get here. You must trust me to take care of Sophie Anne. You just have to show up and slip the package to Pam and we will take care of the rest." I advised harshly.

"He stole my wife; that is not petty."

"A heart that is taken care of and loved cannot be stolen, but one that is abused and hurt can be lost. We both know it was the latter that happened. NOW, can you or can you not come here to a 'family' dinner and get along with Laurell and Marcus for Sookie's and Belinda's sake?"

"Of course, I can. Wait, who is Belinda?" Oh hell, way to go Northman.

**MERRY CHRISTMAS!**

**A/N: OK, what do you think my little Minions? I am so exhausted. It was a bear tying all the story lines together in the confines of one chapter but I did it! Yea me, now to find out if you like it or not. We still have to deal with Sophie Anne, Ocella, Crazy Fairies and Steve Newlin not to mention the other side of Sookie's family. I mean where does that telepathy come from? WOW, I am thinking about 13-15 more chapters unless I get really creative then it could be more or hell less if I am lucky. LOL! MERRY CHRISTMAS… I am traveling and next Tuesday's post of chapter 19 is sketchy at best so if I am late just know I love you and I am trying! **


	19. Chapter 19  Fangs & Dinner Parties

Chapter 19 – Fangs and Dinner Parties Don't Mix

A/N: I love my Content Editor, kjwrit and My BETA, sassyvampmama! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and that you're all getting in gear for a great New Years. I love you all my little minions! Remember to not drink and drive. A drunk driver is the reason my Nanny was in such bad health and the reason we lost her 2 months ago. She could just not overcome the injuries.

One more thing PLEASE REVIEW

**LAST TIME: **

**EPOV**

"**Do you want to be part of Sookie's life?" I barked.**

"**Yes."**

"**Then I suggest you get over your petty differences and behave when you get here. You must trust me to take care of Sophie Anne. You just have to show up and slip the package to Pam and we will take care of the rest." I advised harshly.**

"**He stole my wife that is not petty."**

"**A heart that is taken care of and loved cannot be stolen, but one that is abused and hurt can be lost. We both know it was the later that happened. NOW, can you or can you not come here to a 'family' dinner and get along with Laurell and Marcus for Sookie's and Belinda's sake?"**

"**Of course, wait, who is Belinda?" oh hell, way to go Northman.**

**EPOV**

"She is the child that was lost. She is Christean's, Nialla." I waited for a response.

"They have both been found... They are home… I will be there Northman; I will be there for my little girls. I will bring the ring and I will be NOTHING but happy." If I did not know better I would have sworn he was crying.

**SPOV**

Eric finally came back into the bathroom but he didn't rejoin me in the tub. Instead he pulled me from the tub with a sly smile and hugged me close to him. Wrapping me in a large towel as he sat me in a chair, he spoke no words while drying my hair and cared for me in a way that I can't explain. It wasn't sexual; it was so much more than that. There are just no words to explain. When he was done he pulled me from the chair he had set me on and said,

"I love you so much. You are the brightest light in my world; you pull me to you when I am away. I can never be without you." I cuddled up against him and rubbed my cheek against his chest while he sighed in contentment. We held each other as we walked into the bedroom together. I continued to scent him as we climbed into bed together and he continued to sigh. Once I felt that my scent was all over him I pulled him up against me and asked,

"Is it long before dawn?"

"We have but a few moments." He began to settle himself between my legs and laid his head on my chest. He listened to my heartbeat and tilted his head to smile up at me before he spoke again,

"Be here when I rise. Please?"

"Eric, of course I will. Are you alright baby? Is everything okay?" I was worried but he smiled the smile that only I get to see and said,

"Yes, for the first time in since I was human, everything is alright. I love you Sookie. I love…" and the dawn took him from me. God, I hate that I lose him every morning and yet I finally saw what all I had gained. I used to moan and bitch about not getting to eat breakfast with my boyfriend, but in relation to what I now had I would never do that again. I had been such a foolish girl, but now I would be a smart woman. I leaned down to him and whispered,

"I love you too baby, I love you too! I will be here when you rise." And our love flowed through me.

I tried to go to sleep since I had promised breakfast to Christean and Belinda. Not to mention I was unsure if Preston and Bree were 'popping' in this morning or not. Preston was Christean's dad and Bree had been a second mother to Christean. I knew that Belinda was looking forward to meeting the rest of her family but I was unsure about inviting Faeries into the house that I did not know and that were not directly linked to Laurell. I knew that Lillianna said that she had always loved Preston in a friend sort of way and that is why she chose him to be the father of the Fae child she had to bear for her clan, but at the same time I didn't know him at all and Eric and his safety was my main priority. So for now I decided that when I rose I would see about putting it off until I could speak to Laurell, I mean Gammy, and Eric.

It was weird having a great grandmother that not only looked younger than me but was prettier than me too. Or, maybe that was just me being a normal 'little girl' for once, thinking that I had the prettiest grandma in the world. Back when Gran was alive I used to think she was so beautiful and funny. Thinking about that made the thought float around in my head, 'I am surrounded by beautiful people, but they all tell me that I am the beautiful one. I guess that's what love really means, right? When you love someone and you see their heart they become even more beautiful to you.' I giggled as I fell asleep completely content.

When I awoke it was late so I fixed breakfast for lunch. Christean was fine with not having Preston and Bree over without Eric's approval first, and I think he was actually a bit relieved. He wanted more time without having to share his little girl. I was surprised to find out that Lillianna was a 'day walker' and could be out in the sun. That amazed and confused me. She attributed it to being Fae and said that even Laurell could take moments of sun, but the call to sleep pulled on her too hard to stay awake for long. I thought the three of them really needed the time to bond and just be close and that's just what they did. They spent most of the day together laughing, crying, and talking. I tried to give them a wide birth and kept to myself. I read and napped the day away and before I knew it, it was time for me to wake my beloved.

**EPOV**

I awoke to the most beautiful sight. Sookie was cuddled up to me sound asleep in my arms. God, she smelled so damn good. I loved this tiny little creature so much. I let my mind wander while she slept and I found myself worried about threats, current and those yet to come. My main concern was about Newlin and I made a mental note to speak to Charles and gather all of the information that he had on Newlin. I needed to know all of my enemy's weaknesses and strengths, but I needed insight to Newlin's mindset. He was not an honorable opponent; I knew that much about him. He was a snake in the grass wreaking havoc wherever he went before slipping away in the night like the coward he was. Just like the night he staked my Sookie at that stupid damn Were bar. I would have been able to catch his damn ass, but fucking Herveaux ran off with the rest of the Were's and left Sookie bleeding on the damn floor. If she had been left unattended for one more second someone would have killed her. I remembered caring for her that fateful night. I remembered the way she trusted me enough to lower her shields and look into my eyes, and then letting me glamour her somewhat that night so I could take away some of her pain. I remember every moment of that night; the way she smelled, the way she tasted; the way she touched me when I healed her. I loved her that night, but I was afraid of what that meant. Now that fear no longer mattered to me. Strange how time can fix some things and yet destroy others. We had let time destroy us once by being stubborn, but now time gave us another chance and we were holding onto it with all of our strength.

Sookie started making her sweet little cooing noise alerting me she would wake soon. I was drenched in her scent and lost in her beauty unable to tear my eyes away from her lovely face. She was always beautiful to me, but I swear by the gods every night she became more and more, lovely to me.

"Mmmmm baby, are you awake?" she cooed.

"Yes, my lover, I am. How did you spend your day my dearest one?" I asked as I brushed her hair out of her eyes and kissed her gently.

"I had an interesting day. First thing, I over slept so breakfast turned into brunch. Then I had to tell Christean I wasn't comfortable with Preston and Bree coming here until you were awake to approve it. I don't like all of these Faeries knowing where we live. Then Lillianna scared the crap out of me by walking in like it was no big deal she was walking around in sunlight! I didn't even know there was such a thing as day walkers until this happened. Did you know?" She ended her little update with a question so I answered,

"Yes Lover, I knew that. I am sorry I forgot to tell you that, but you must know it is very rare. When it does happen the vampire in question guards the secret well. Laurell can also stand the pull of the sun, but the urge to rest is strong for her." I advised.

"Yeah, they told me about that after I had the mini breakdown in the kitchen when she popped onto the pool deck by the back door. I didn't know she could do either of those things anymore since she is a vampire now, but she said she's some sort of Vampire/Faery hybrid and she thinks I'll retain all my powers too, once you turn me. I just love how everyone knows more about me than me!" She said flustered with her sweet little pout.

"I should have told you these things my poor little faery, is there anything I can do to make this up to you?" I growled a low guttural noise at her and she smiled her sweet sexy smile at me and said,

"Oh, I bet I can think of something you mean ole vampire." She giggled as she cuddled in closer to me and sighed as I let my hands wander down her luscious little body. I began teasing her through her clothing and she whimpered in the most erotic way. I never want her to feel like she had to beg me for anything but by the gods I love it when she does it.

"Oh Eric, please…oh… please undress me...Oh God, I want your hands on me. Please…" she rolled her head back and bared her neck to me before saying the rest, "Feed baby, let me feed you." She pulled my head forward and to her neck. "Bite, drink, drink me." I of course complied.

"Sookie let me love you. I need… inside..." she seemed to feel my need for intimacy and not just sex. I undressed her quickly and realized it was always like this with her; the feeling of being made whole. "Like this, I want you like this." I said as I guided her to my favorite position of her sitting up facing me with her legs wrapped around my waist and mine under and behind her.

"I love looking in your eyes when I push inside you Sookie. They turn colors, did you know that?" I panted out and she did not answer, she only shook her head no.

"They do. I love the way your face looks while I fuck you hard but when I love you like this, your face looks like an angel's. You look peaceful and so goddamn beautiful." I gasped as I thrust in and out of her. Her eyes were locked on to mine one moment and the next she was glued to the sight that was between us. She watched me thrust in and out of her and I knew what she wanted without her asking. As my hand neared her clit she whimpered,

"Oh yes, please Master, please. I yield to you. I am yours." God she knew what that did to me. I lost my mind and pressed her little nub hard thrusting in and out of her chanting,

"I love you My Sookie, you own me, and I am yours." I just said it over and over until she was running her hands through my hair as I cried out. I wanted to lose control, I wanted to ride her hard, and I wanted to drain her…shit… I reined my emotions in as she cooed to me through our bond,

"It's alright baby, you're supposed to feel that way. You're a vampire, its okay. Just like the other night, I needed to know I could escape 'cause I'm Fae. If you need it harder, flip me over and fuck me hard. If you need my blood, it is yours. I trust you and our bond won't let you drain me." She offered me everything she had to give and I wept as I flipped her to her knees and began to thrust into her with all I had to offer. She glowed with magic and it enveloped us. I bit her and drank until I was no longer hungry as she turned and pushed me back. She was now riding me and controlling me in wonderful new way. Suddenly I saw something I was not expecting, fangs. Full blooded Fae have fangs that will descend in a similar way to a vampire, but not exactly. It is more like their canines just elongate when they need them and that was what was happening to Sookie. I watched in excitement as she growled and sank her fangs into my neck and drank me down as she whispered,

"So good, you taste so damn good Eric. I love you." She bit again and drank more. I was in heaven.

We lay in each other's arms for a long time before she asked,

"Eric, why was it so much easier to bite you tonight than normal? I barely had to bite you to break the skin and now my mouth feels funny." She said not realizing she had fangs.

"Sookie reach up and touch your mouth." I said waiting on her to panic, but she did not, she looked at me for the longest time and said,

"Well, shit, how do I make them go back in? I just thought about Bill naked and if that wouldn't do it nothing will!" She was perfectly serious. She knew that my arousal made mine click out so she tried to make hers go back in by thinking of the douche. I tried not to laugh, I really did. Especially considering the situation and what just transpired between us, but I could not help myself! I laughed, really laughed!

"Eric Northman, this is not funny! Now you sit up and tell me how to get these damn things to go away!" she yelled and they elongated even more.

"Sookie, after over a thousand years with a set I can tell you that fangs come out for three things. One, and most importantly, for feeding; if you are hungry they will come out. Two; if you are aroused and want to have sex; last but not least, three, if you are mad they will come out." I explained.

"Well I definitely don't want to have sex with you right now and since I just drank enough of you to fill up a newborn vampire I'm guessing I don't need blood! SO, perhaps I am mad at you for laughing at me!" she pouted her cute little pout which was even cuter with the fangs. She sat there and whispered,

"There is really no trick to getting them to go back?"

"Lover, if they were vampire fangs I could help you and thinking of Bill would have worked but I think we might need to talk to a faery about them." I was still smiling and she was still steaming, but she finally grinned at me and said,

"You love them don't you?"

"Oh yes. That is the sexiest damn thing I have ever seen. Let me look at them again." I asked. She opened her mouth and showed me her sweet little fangs.

"Lover, they are exquisite. I love them!" I smiled as I touched them and she giggled as she suggested,

"If they don't go down soon I'm going to pop out to Gammy and see if she can help me with some tricks, but I think I can feel them going down. I think I just have to relax and they'll go back down. They don't click down like vampires do." She explained. We waited a few minutes and sure enough they went down on their own.

"Is that better Lover?" I asked with a smile and she simply grinned and nodded. Soon she was cuddled back up against me while I thought about how I was going to tell her about Friday night. I decided to stick with the basic truth with just a little left out.

"Sookie, I have planned a little dinner for you here Friday night. I have invited all of your family, including Jason and the shift…I mean Sam." I grinned.

"Oh Eric, that's wonderful! Thank you so much! What is the occasion?"

"It is to announce you as my bonded and to make you happy. I saw how happy it made you to have your family near you and I want you to know you can always have that. I can ward the house specifically to not let anyone back in unless you invite them and there are other wards that protect the resting chambers." I informed her since I knew that was weighing on her mind. She was always concerned with my daytime safety.

"Eric, you've made me so happy! I know you're up to something, but I trust you and I love you." She grinned and kissed my cheek before announcing that she was going to take a shower. Now I just had to keep her at bay for one more night so I could surprise her with her engagement ring.

**TWO NIGHTS LATER (FRIDAY NIGHT) **

**PPOV**

"Belinda, Love can you hand me that cumin and check the oven for me while I prep the pork?" I could not believe that sentence just came out of my damn mouth.

"Eric how many am I cooking for again? Run the list for me one more time." I asked for the third or fourth time. I was a nervous wreck. If it had just been dinner I would have been fine, but this was for Eric to ask Sookie to marry him.

"Well there is Jason; I think we counted him twice as Sookie said he could eat for two. Sam, Niall, Christean, Belinda and of course Sookie all will eat. Then the Royalty and specialty blends will be for you, me, Laurell, Marcus, Lilli, Alex, Bill and Thalia…"

"EXCUSE ME? Did you say you invited Bill 'fucking' Compton to this?"

"Yes, he will be present. He is somewhat family to her. She wants them to maintain a friendship so as an act of goodwill, I invited him."

"Does Sookie know?" I asked

"Yes, I informed her last night and she thought it was a lovely gesture."

"Yes, a lovely gesture that you are going to make him sit there and watch you go down on one knee and ask the woman he loves to marry you. Oh Eric, you really are rich! I am never bored with you as my maker." I laughed as I continued to cook and made a mental note to take pictures of Bill when Eric went down on one knee. I would blow them up for posters for Fangtasia later. _I really am a bitch._

"Eric, are you sure that is a good idea? I mean it might make Sookie uncomfortable if Bill is here when you pop the question. Dinner is one thing, but a proposal in front of her ex?" Belinda asked in her sweet little mouse of a voice.

"I thought of that, but it will be good in the long run. He needs to see our love. Right now he has only heard her say the words, but he has not seen her love of and for me. He has never seen the love shining in her eyes for me and he needs to see that if he is ever to be her friend as she wants." Eric explained to her. I loved how he spoke so sweetly to her. He knew that loud noises and quick movement still frightened her so he still goes out of his way to be gentle with her. He walked slowly to her and picked her up so she was eye level with him and swung her around. She giggled and laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Alright you two, no rough housing in my kitchen!" I laughed but they continued to laugh and she giggled and squealed.

"So when Pam turns me will you be my granddad?" she giggled. She was forever making fun of how old he was; it was their thing. He looked at her for a moment and said,

"No, I believe the term is grandsire, but I am not up on the lingo, as the kids say!" he laughed. I loved that they were developing such a fun relationship and it was so good for Belinda. She actually said that 'Eric being her friend was like having the best big brother ever' last night and that made me smile to know that was how she thought of him. Suddenly everything stopped as Sookie popped into the kitchen and she was stunning.

**EPOV**

I was holding our little angel; all three of us had taken to calling Belinda that, as I spun her around and listened to her giggle and squeal. She always asked me silly questions and tonight was no different. She already felt like a child to me in so many ways. Sookie laughed and said that if Pam didn't turn her, she would. That made me smile last night when she had said that meaning she would be turned herself at some point. I loved when Sookie spoke of when I would turn her. Sookie, I thought, had been half serious though because she adored our little angel as much as we all did. I saw with each passing night that Pam was falling deeper and deeper in love. It happened fast, but I was once told love knows no time and now I believe it to be true. I was lost in thought and in happiness listening to Belinda laugh when suddenly I felt Sookie before she popped into the room. I felt her magic move around the room and then there she was; the most beautiful creature in this world or any other. Before I could speak Belinda did,

"Sookie, You. Look. So. Beautiful!" she exclaimed.

"I agree Lover. I have never seen you more radiant than you look right now." She had on a beautiful blue silk dress with sequins and lace, but it was more that what she was wearing. It was the look on her face. She was at peace. By the gods; she had never been at peace before, I realized, and my heart ached for a moment. She simply walked to me and whispered,

"You did it you know. You are why I am finally able to rest. I'm not waiting on the other shoe to drop anymore. You did that Eric. You did that for me. I love you." She paused for a moment before turning to Belinda and Pam to say, "I'm just so happy and grateful that ya'll did this for me. Oh Pam it just smells so wonderful! I can't wait to sit around and just talk with everyone. I am so excited!" she grinned from ear to ear as we heard the popping begin. _'Oh well, here we go'_ I thought. _'I mean really what could go wrong it's just a family dinner?'_ (Trust me when I tell you to never utter that sentence out loud or to even think it for that matter.**)**

**SPOV**

Niall, Claudine and Claude were the first to arrive. Then my vampire family came in from the guest houses. Laurell and Niall simply nodded at each other so good so far. Then I heard cars pulling up and was surprised to see that Bill had driven up with Sam. Solidarity I guess. Sam and Bill hated each other but they hated Eric more. Jason was right behind them in his truck. Thalia came alone and was immediately approached by Christean. We were all in the kitchen laughing and talking waiting on Preston and Bree when we heard a loud pop and I smiled and said,

"Well I guess we're all here now. Belinda do you want to let your granddad in for me?"

"Sure Sookie." She replied all bubbly and happy. She was just as excited as I was to meet and be around all this family. I was standing in the kitchen when I first saw him. I knew he must be Preston, but all I saw was one of the men who stood idly by while my beloved had been silvered. I felt the fangs descend in my mouth and an evil hiss came from between my lips as I flew at him. I had him pinned against the wall as Eric pulled me back with his hand over my mouth. My fangs sunk into his hand but he didn't hiss or jerk away he simply sat me down in front of him. I took a defensive stance in front of Eric and explained to Belinda,

"He was there that night Belinda the night those faeries hurt Eric. He was one of them!" Belinda moved beside Eric and glared at Preston while giving a little hiss of her own. Much to my amazement Belinda was siding with us. Within a second Pam was on the other side of Eric and growled,

"Was he one of the ones I told you to remember Master?" I didn't know what exactly she meant, but you could hear the deadly intent in her voice. I stood in front of Eric as Belinda and Pam were on either side of him. He finally spoke,

"Girls that is enough. Preston is not my enemy. He was not one that wanted me to bleed." With my hand behind me so I could feel him I backed up a little closer to Eric as Niall continued,

"Sookie, Belinda I would NEVER let an enemy in our midst. Not on this precious night, I promise." He said and I relaxed. As soon as I relaxed so did Belinda. She walked slowly towards Preston and said,

"He is the only man who has ever taken care of me so you see, even though you are blood, he is my family. He is my woman's maker and I trust and love him. I don't know you yet, but I hope in time to gain your trust and vice-a-versa." She explained in a voice that made me proud. Our little angel was beginning to come into her own. I also loved how she called Pam her woman. For that matter so did Pam, you could feel the pride rolling off Pam as she walked to Preston.

"I am HER woman, Pam, as well as the Northman's child. I'm also the cook in this family and dinner is getting cold so let's go into the dining room shall we?" Pam transitioned us into the dining room and I took a moment with Eric.

**A/N: I hope you like it! I love kickass Sookie. I really love and appreciate you guys! Thank you for reading and reviewing. I will be a little late on replying back to your reviews sue to travel but I promise to get to each and every one of you! I love your feedback so PLEASE leave me reviews. HUGS**


	20. Chapter 20 Will you marry me?

**Chapter 20- Will you marry me? **

**A/N: Ok this was not the plan but it just sorta happened. I cried as I wrote it but in a good way! I love my BETA the ever so sassy, sassyvampmama and my sweet content editor the talented kjwrit. HUGS**

**OK Now to the 23-30 of you who faithfully review every chappy… you know who you are… I LOVE YOU and I will try to have enough of the next chapter done so I can give you a sneak peek of 21. The other 2000 who read and don't review…leave a review and you might get a present! Mmmmaaaawww. I love you baby minions! HUGS**

**LAST TIME: SPOV**

"**Girls, that is enough. Preston is not my enemy. He was not one that wanted me to bleed." I back a little closer to Eric as Niall continued,**

"**Sookie, Belinda I would NEVER let an enemy in our mist. Not on this precious night, I promise." He said and I relaxed. As soon as I relaxed so did Belinda. She walked slowly to Preston and said,**

"**He is the only man who has ever taken care of me so you see even though you are blood he is family. He is my woman's maker and I trust him above you. In time, I hope to gain your trust and vice-a-versa." She explained in a voice that made me proud. Our little angel was beginning to come into her own. I also loved how she called Pam her woman. For that matter so did Pam, you could feel the pride rolling off Pam as she walked to Preston.**

"**I am HER woman, Pam, as well as The Northman's child. I am also the cook in this family and dinner is getting cold so let's go into the dining room shall we?" Pam transitioned us into the dining room and I took a moment with Eric.**

**EPOV**

Magfuckingnificent! She was incredible. I had never seen a faery move that fast without popping before. She pinned Preston as easily as I could have pinned a human. I pulled her back quickly to keep her from ripping his throat out stunned that the move she had made was a killing move. She'd meant to rip his throat out, that much I could feel that from our bond. I watched our little angel side with us and felt great pride as my child flanked my side as well. It took a few moments, but Niall and I were able to defuse the situation. I was surprised that neither Sookie nor Belinda offered to apologize. I felt Sookie's need to be alone with me so I mentally asked Pam to clear the room, which she did immediately.

"You were magnificent Lover." I whispered softly.

"Come to my room with me?" she requested sweetly and I knew she meant the room I had made for her those many months ago, when she was only a dream and desire in my heart.

"Of course, are you alright?" I asked full of concern.

"Once we're out of hearing distance of our guest." She whispered laying her head against my chest as I swooped her up in my arms and carried her to her room.

"Eric, I can't explain why, but I need you to love me. I need you inside me now and I need you. I need to drink from you." She whispered as her voice shook with an unknown emotion. I knew why, it was the blood lust. She needed to sate it one way or another so I gave her what she needed.

I laid her down gently on the bed, much like the first time I took her in this room. I reached underneath her dress and removed her panties as she reached for me, unbuckling my belt and unfastening my pants. Sookie stroked me several times before pulling me forward and guiding me to her entrance. I ran my fingers through her folds to check her readiness and found that she was more than ready. She pulled at me again and this time I gave into her silent request, I slid into her with one gently stroke. She made sweet mewing noises. There was no hurry or heat to this it was just a sweet need and gentle act. I rocked my hips back and forth as she meet me thrust for thrust and we both came together as I kissed her lips. I looked deep into her eyes and knew she needed more so I whispered,

"Bite Sookie, it's alright, I love you." She drew back for a moment and I saw her fangs glisten before they slid into my neck. 'By the gods it feels so damn good', I thought as she drank. I knew I was supposed to give her the ring at dinner in front of everyone, but now I felt I could no longer wait. I had to do it now. Once she had her fill of me I gently pulled out of her and told her to lie still for a moment. I went into the bathroom and retrieved a warm washcloth and went back to clean her up. She smiled her sweet 'I love you' smile while I gently cleaned her and set her to rights. I then sat her up on the edge of the bed and made my confession.

"Sookie, I was going to do this at dinner, but now I see that is not how this should be. This is personal and we should be alone for this." I saw her eyes go wide as I pulled the box Niall had slipped to Pam and then Pam to me from my pocket. "A little over a week ago you agreed to marry me, but I have not yet given you an engagement ring. For that I am truly sorry Sookie, you deserve a beautiful ring. You deserve a ring that is fit for a Faery Princess." I paused for a moment as I took her hands into mine and her eyes sparkled and were full of love for me as I continued,

"This ring belonged to Laurell's mother's line of Fae family. Laurell wore it when she was married to Niall and she always wanted the ring back, but it was a sore spot and he would not return it. However, he changed his mind when she told him why she needed it this time. There is a tale to go along with the ring; it is said that the ring holds Fae magic that can only be called on by its true linage. It is an ancient ring that is surrounded with love and magic. So with all that being said," with that I opened the box and going down on one knee and asked,

"Sookie Stackhouse, love of my existence and light of my entire world, will you do me the great honor of being my wife?" I slipped the ring on her finger and smiled like a loon. She could do nothing but nod for a few moments until she was able to get out,

"Yes, yes a thousand times yes! I love you Eric and I can't wait to be Sookie Northman!" She wrapped her arms around me and laughed in happiness, both out loud and silently through our bond.

We sat there and just enjoyed each other's company before I said,

"You know we have to get in there or Pam is going to kill us right?" I smiled and she giggled as we made our way to the dining room. She kept looking at the ring and now that it was on her hand it sparkled in a way that it had not done in the box. Perhaps the story of magic that Laurell told me was real. With all of the magic that lay dormant in Sookie anything was possible, anything. Now it was my turn to wish for a child, wanting more than anything to be able to give her that, to make her wish to be a mother come true. The thought of her womb full with my child gave me a strange rush of excitement. Her eyes went wide and she said,

"I thought we talked about this. I'm really okay about giving up being a mom. Are you okay with it?" she asked with concern in her voice.

"It was just like with you and what you thought that night. Just something wonderful that I wish I could give to you." I smiled.

"You have already given me the world. I adore and love you more than any wish I ever had for a white picket fence and 2.5 children with a shaggy dog." She smiled as she laid a soft hand on my cheek. We had just come to the entrance of the door to the dining room as she lifted her hand and that was when we heard Pam shriek.

"YOU GAVE HER THE RING? I have never been madder at you EVER in my whole EXISTANCE!" With that she tossed the pot holders she had in her hand down on the table and walked out the room muttering about timing, the douche, plans, pictures, posters for Fangtasia being ruined and god knows what else. I was forever in trouble living with three women. At least I always had Sookie on my side. Well, almost always. To the room it looked like Sookie was smiling, but she was talking to me through her teeth,

"Eric, I just realized something, darling." 'Darling?' Oh by the gods I was in trouble, "Were you really going to ask me to marry you in front of Bill and Sam?"

"Yes, I thought you…"

"Oh, oh I know what you thought, you naughty vampire! You high handed…You… ugh… You had better be glad that I love you more than life itself, but I swear, why don't you just whip it out and pee on me? Now let me go, I have to check on Pam. I'll be right back." She smiled a little at me as she shook her head and went out the door after Pam.

Belinda walked up, patted me on the arm and smiled as she said,

"I told you so old man."Giggling she said, "I'll go talk to them. I love you Eric. You make me smile!" She walked after them as she shook her head and held the bridge of her nose. I thought to myself, _'Isn't that supposed to be my move?'_

**SPOV**

I wasn't mad at Eric, not really, but inviting Sam and Bill to a dinner where he was planning to go down on one knee and ask me to marry him was a little too mean. I mean come on, Bill was of course still a douche, but he didn't deserve to have to sit through that. And Sam, poor Sam, that would have broke his heart. I may not love Sam the way he wanted me to, but I loved him none-the-less. It would be different if it was me doing the proposing. That was what Bill and Sam need to see. They needed to see how committed I am to Eric. In his heart, I knew why Eric had planned it that way much was true; they both needed to see our love and not just hear me tell them about it.

Pam was standing looking out the doors in the kitchen that led to the deck. I approached her quietly and said,

"Are you really mad at him or do you just want new clothes?" I ended the question with my own raised eyebrow.

"Oh I always want new clothes, but I am a little put out. I worked hard on this dinner and I wanted to see your face when you saw the ring." She paused for a moment and then turned and said with a start, "You did say yes didn't you?"

"Of course I said yes! I'm not an idiot. I love my vampire and I'm not running anymore." I smiled and so did she as Belinda walked in the door and looked at Pam.

"Pam, do you really need new clothes this bad? You know you are not this mad at him!" Belinda said with a raised eyebrow. I almost laughed when she did it.

"I am not bucking for new clothes. Although, now that you have both brought it up, I can probably get a shopping trip to New York out of this, fashion week next year perhaps…mmm…" she had that devious look in her eye as she tapped her chin with her red finger nail and turned back toward the stove.

"What about you Sookie? I kinda told Eric I thought this might upset you but he said they needed to see the love you have for him shining in your eyes." She said. Of course he did, in the past I've always hid that I cared about him.

"He said that? Of course he did, I've never shown any pride in the fact that he is mine." I said sadly to Belinda and Pam. That was when I had an idea,

"Pam, I need your help. I need to show Eric I am proud that I am his and I need to do it in front of the others, but in such a way as to not really hurt Sam or Bill. I want them to see that he is my choice and that I love only him, all the while not purposefully hurting either of them. So what do I do?" I asked with so much confusion. Pam looked very thoughtful for a few moments and then she grinned as she said,

"You have to make a decision Sookie. Do you love Eric more than you want to save people's feelings?" I thought for a millisecond and nodded yes! She smiled and said, "Well then Sookie, I have a wonderful plan. Belinda, go get my camera back out and we need to get to my jewelry box!" She smiled and I just thought _'oh shit what have I done? I unleashed Pam and her planning potential.'_

**EPOV**

I could feel Sookie and Pam through our various bonds and they were very excited about something. I sat with Jason at the table and talked with him about various situations. I felt sorry for him that he had so much family around him and he didn't know. It was not my place to tell him and I knew Sookie was putting it off for tonight. Sookie believed that Jason was going to be hurt by the fact that Gran was unfaithful to her grandfather and that the faery side of the family seemed more interested in her than him. She told me she wanted to speak to Laurell in private about everything before she spoke to Jason. So for now he believed that Laurell was my family, but I watched him look at her with great interest. I also caught Laurell looking at him lovingly when he wasn't looking.

Jason and I turned the conversation to Newlin and the fact that Detective Bellefleur had no leads. No one had seen Newlin in months. It seemed he had gone into hiding, but I had no doubts I would find him eventually and then he would pay for even thinking of killing my beloved bonded. Belinda walked back in the room and winked at me as she took her seat by her father. She leaned over to Lillianna and whispered something causing Lillianna to rise and walk to Marcus and Laurell. She spoke no words only looked at Laurell and I knew they were speaking mind to mind. Laurell squeezed Marcus' hand before he stood and excused himself. I probed the bond to see where Sookie and Pam were, but there was nothing but a low hum from both of them. They were blocking me and as I stood to go find them Belinda had come around the table as she grasped my hand and whispered,

"Not all surprises are bad." She giggled Pam's words to me. I remembered how Sookie was afraid when I closed the bond to plan our engagement and that was what Pam had told her then. I nodded and resumed my seat. A few moments later my beloved glided back in the room. She walked to Jason and whispered something in his ear. I started to listen in but I behaved. He looked strange for a moment but then he smiled and nodded. She then walked to me and sat down in my lap and hugged me. She brushed my hair away from my face and whispered,

"I love you so much. Do you want to tell everyone our news now or later?

"I would be honored to tell them now my Lover." I pulled her to me even closer and kissed her cheek. We stood and since my seat was at the head of the table we immediately had everyone's attention.

"Sookie and I have an announcement to make." I said as everyone looked on, "I asked Sookie to marry me earlier this evening and she has agreed to be my wife." I smiled as Sookie squeezed me around my waist. Bill stood and walked to us and shook my hand. He looked at Sookie and smiled a sad smile,

"Congratulations Sookie, I wish you every happiness in your life." It was not lost on me that he congratulated her and not us, but I let it go. He was losing the love of his life. I bet it hurt like hell. Before we could sit down or anyone else could say anything Sookie spoke up.

"I have something to say to Eric and I would be grateful if ya'll would be witness to it." Jason rose and took Sookie hand and walked her a few feet in front of me. She then turned back to face me and I felt Pam walk in the room. I turned and saw she was carrying a tray with a piece of black velvet over it. Sookie smiled her 'I love you' smile at me and as she began to speak she reached out taking my hands into her own. Jason then kissed her cheek and resumed his seat. I then realized Marcus was standing in front of us and Laurell was stand to my side as Pam was standing to Sookie's with the mysterious tray.

"Eric, I love you. You have saved me over and over, even when I wasn't yours to save. You have always come for me. Whenever I have been lost and afraid you've just sorta always showed up. Like in Dallas when I had been so injured and you sat there with tweezers and pulled glass out of my arm or when you dove on top of me to save me from flying bullets. Then there is the night you accompanied me to an orgy and I know this is going to sound strange, but that is night I was most afraid. But you kept me safe that night and all those other times Eric, it was you. When I did finally realize I loved you it scared me. The commitment of it all, the forever and finality of it really did frighten me. But I am not scared anymore. Your love for me did that Eric; your love freed me from a life time of fear and running. You have never judged me or laid expectations on me. The only thing you have ever asked me to do is love you and not leave you. So as I stand here in front of God, our family and you my absolute everything, I promise that I will never run and I will ALWAYS love you." She paused as she turned and removed the black velvet cloth from the tray to reveal the ceremonial knife we had used to bond. The ring on her finger glowed with faery magic as she then turned and continued,

"Eric Northman, will you be my pledged?" she asked with the sweetest tone I had ever heard as she flooded the bond with love. I was so filled with emotion that I barely got out,

"Yes, my sweet Lover, yes." I smiled as she took the knife and gave it to me. I kissed it and held it to my heart and then as the ritual dictates I handed it to a cloaked Marcus. There are different variations of the ceremony, but this one was the oldest and Pam would have known it would mean the most to me. Marcus took the knife and Sookie's wrist making a small wound on her arm and letting the blood fall into the cup that Laurell was holding. He then did the same to me before he held the cup in front of us and said,

"You have accepted her as your pledged. Do you then in turn pledge yourself to her?" he asked very formally. I nodded as I licked her wrist to close the wound and spoke to her as I lost myself in her eyes. She was the only person in the world at that moment for me.

"Sookie, I love you and you are my…everything. You are the light in the darkness that has pulled me out of my empty world and into one that is filled with love. You said that I saved you even when you were not mine to save, but that is not true. You have always been mine to save. You were mine before I saw you. Our hearts have always been linked together; it just took some time for us to trust the love we felt. The abuse we both suffered early in our lives before we meet had a lot to do with how we reacted to the love we felt for each other. You see you were not the only one who was scared; I had no idea what these feelings were that you evoked inside me. There was a time that I just wanted them to go away, but once I realized the only way to stop the ache was to be embrace by you, it was then that I knew I would never be the same. So you see it is you that has saved me my dearest one. You have vowed and pledged to me that you will never run and that you would always love me so now I want to make a pledge to you here in front of the people that matter most to us. I promise you that I will never abandon you. I will always protect you, and I will always come for you whenever you are scared or feel alone, I will always be there to protect you and your sweet, precious heart. Sookie I love you and I will love you forever." I paused and kissed her cheek before I asked,

"Sookie Stackhouse, will you be my pledged?" I felt my eyes pool with moisture, but I held back the tears as I knew it would make Sookie cry. I hated to see her cry and she was near tears already.

"Yes Eric, yes I will." She smiled from ear to ear and I smiled like a loon as Marcus began to speak.

"You have accepted one another as each others' pledged and you have given your blood freely to each other. You may now seal your pledge by drinking the blood you have freely given." And as we drank from the cup he continued, "May your love and bond be mingled together forever as the blood in this cup. What fate has joined together let no one deter or attempt to break this unbreakable bond." He paused to take the cup from us and pass it to Laurell who was balling her eyes out. It was very mom like. After he passed the cup to her he looked at me and said,

"You may kiss your pledged. Congratulations Northman." I wrapped Sookie up in my arms and kissed her passionately. When we broke apart to thunderous applause I whispered,

"You will never know what this meant to me Lover. This means the world to me. I love you."

"Eric, I know what it means because now in your world I am you wife. I am Sookie Northman." She giggled, "I kinda like the sound of that…Sookie Northman…Mrs. Northman…Mrs. Eric Northman…" and the giggling continued for a moment before she looked at me very seriously and said, "Is that okay? Is it alright with you if I take your name?"

"Nothing would make me prouder than to have you take my name Lover." I smiled.

"You know the State of Louisiana won't recognize this as our wedding. You still have to put on a tux and walk down an isle with me, not to mention Pam will have a fit if she doesn't get to plan a wedding." And with that her giggling started again as she jumped up into my arms. She was draped around me as Pam poked her in her side and nudged me,

"Alright, that is enough! Get down monkey girl! I need to take pictures, not to mention dinner is practically over and you haven't eaten a bite." Pam, in typical Pam fashion, was in total planning mode. She was talking to herself going on and on about pictures, desserts and wedding dresses. Belinda just rolled her eyes as she wrote down notes as Pam went on and on. Sookie would giggle, nod and say "yes Pam whatever you think will work best and make the best picture." Never let it be said that my Pledged was not a smart woman. Pictures seemed to be all Sookie was concerned about she wanted LOTS of pictures tonight and even more at the wedding.

The rest of the evening went on without any problems. Jason gave me the big brother speech, which included how much bigger a part he would play in the REAL wedding. I had to laugh a little as he walked away. Bill had slipped out sometime between the engagement announcement and the pledging ceremony. I knew it hurt Sookie that he was in pain, but she handled everything she had done this evening with grace. She had not done anything to rub his face in our love, but he had finally seen I was her choice. He just needed to be alone and process once and for all he and Sookie were over. Sam gave her a hug and told her he was happy for us but when he walked to me he growled,

"If you ever hurt her, I WILL KILL YOU."

"If she is ever hurt, it will be because I am finally dead. If that is the case I leave it to you to protect her. And if she is already vampire, do not let her met the sun directly after my final death. Make her think about her decision first. I name you my second where she is concerned, but really I am not planning on going anywhere anytime soon." I laughed and he looked surprised for a moment as I extended my hand to him and we shook. Sookie walked over and Sam told her good bye. She looked at me quizzically asking,

"What was that about?"

"He was just marking his 'best friend' territory and I let him. I think it surprised him."

"Thank you Eric. Now if I could just get you to be nice to Bill."

"That will never happen, Lover. He was too cruel to you to ever deserve my friendship. Sam however has always been a faithful friend to you and he has never hurt you. He, perhaps in time, might gain my trust since he has yours. I do trust him where your safety is concerned." I said and she smiled and nodded.

The evening was winding down and people were beginning to leave. Belinda and Pam decided to leave with the rest of our guests and go to Pam's house for the evening. I did however make a point to tell them,

"Sookie and I enjoy having you here. I have not lived in a nest in a very long time, but I love our little nest. I know it is important to keep your independence but please come home soon." Pam smiled and hugged me. Belinda grinned at our embrace and then joined in on the hug herself. They left soon after and the house was quiet. I probed the bond to find Sookie out on the deck looking up into the night sky. I walked out and wrapped my arms around her and she wrapped her arms around mine as we just stood there looking up at the stars.

"Eric, do you remember the stories you would tell me when you were cursed? I always thought that was so weird. You had amnesia, but you could remember all the names of the constellations and the stories that went with them." She said dreamily.

"Yes. I also remembered I was a vampire and luckily for you I remembered how to fight and wield a sword." I reminded her before continuing, "I am guessing that those three things were so ingrained into me that not even the witches spell could erase them from my memory. Just like my love for you Sookie, she could not take my love from you away. I did that all on my own," I said sadly. She rubbed my arms as I continued, "I abandoned you out of fear of your love controlling me, but that is behind us now. We are bonded and pledged. I love you and I would rather be controlled by your love than live in a world without it."I said softly. She smiled as she turned in my arms to look up at me and said,

"I don't think our love for each other controls us. I think it guides us. I think that's what it was always trying to do but we were just so scared because of past pain." She smiled and cuddled up against me as we continued to stand there and looked up at the stars. I told her how I used to use the stars, in my voyages back when I was an explorer, warrior and trader for my village. That had been something I had not remembered while I was cursed. I knew about the stars and remembered their names, but I did not know why I knew them. As a Viking I had used them to sail from port to port and Sookie found the stories interesting. I told her a story of Aunna, my little girl and how she stole away on my ship once and caused me to lose a full day's sail because I had to take her back to port. Sookie laughed as I recalled how angry she was with me that I wouldn't let her go warring with me. Sookie particularly liked the fact that my little one had brought a wooded sword with her that belonged to her brother when he was younger. He got to go that trip and Aunna was furious that she could not go too. My son was a magnificent warrior and did very well that trip. Sookie was lost in my eyes and listened to every story. She would slip into my mind so she could see the sights as I had seen them. She smiled as she told me,

"I love it when you talk to me like this. It makes me feel so important. I think we should go to Sweden for our honeymoon when we take one and do all the things we talked about that first night together." She said as she cuddled against me and began to scent me and mark me. I began to moan. She knew how that affected me. She reached down and began to stroke me through my now straining pants. I ignored the trip suggestion she made (for now) and made one of my own.

"Mrs. Northman, why don't we continue this in our bed?"

"I would like that very much, Mr. Northman." She smiled a wicked smile and continued to scent me as I scooped her up and walked toward our bedroom. I loved how my resting chamber was now our bedroom.

**SPOV**

Eric carried me to our bedroom and I couldn't get enough of his scent. I had my face pressed to his neck and continued to breathe him in as he settled me onto the bed.

"The bed always looks so large when I place you on it. You are so tiny. Your personality is so large I forget sometimes how small you really are." He smiled at me as he began to disrobe. I was in the throes of major lust for him when he realized it.

"Do you like what you see, Mrs. Northman?" he growled.

"Yes I do. I want you so damn bad, my clit is throbbing." For whatever reason I was not embarrassed to tell him that, normally would've been, but not tonight.

"It is, is it? Well what can I do to help you with that? I. Will. Do. Anything." He said with deep lust in his voice.

"Eric undress me. I have to feel your hands on me now. PLEASE…" was my cry. It felt so good when he reached for me. He pulled my dress off and kissed his way down to my lacy covered breast. He nipped and licked as I moaned. Then he took the bra off me as he licked and swirled my nipples in his mouth much to my delight. He worked his way down my stomach and torturously with the slowest pace he has ever used, pulled my panties off me. He kissed my inner thighs before looking up at me and whispered,

"Tell me Sookie, tell me what you want."

"Lick me…"

"Where Sookie, I want you to tell me where you want me to lick you." he demanded. I complied and whispered,

"My pussy…oh Eric please lick my pussy…ahh…lick…ahh…" And he did. So well in fact he had to hold me down by my hips because I was thrashing around so hard on the bed.

"You taste so good Sookie, so good." He moaned against my throbbing nub and that was all it took for me to come for him as he drank me down greedily.

I pushed him back and climbed on top of him as he begged,

"Yessssss, please ride me Sookie, ride me…" The rest of what he said made no sense to me as he started speaking in a mix of English, Swedish and ancient Fae. If I hadn't been in yet another orgasm induced haze it would have been funny. I was rising and falling on him as fast as I could, panting and begging for something but I'm not sure what. He seemed to know what I needed because he pulled out, flipped me over and thrust back into me before I could really even comprehend it. He rode me hard and fast, it was heaven. When I came for the fourth or fifth time I was screaming his name and he yelled out too. We lay there silently for a few minutes. As I gathered my composure I said,

"Well Mr. Northman, I have been told sex after marriage can get dull but that was sooooo not dull." I giggled.

"Well Mrs. Northman, I am glad that you approve of married sex, since that is the only kind you will be having from now on." he laughed.

"I love you Eric."

"I love you too my dearest precious one." I cuddled against him as he said those sweet words to me. I closed my eyes and realized I was married to my best friend. I could feel the bond flowing between us as I fell asleep content and happy. The last thing I heard was Eric say,

"Sleep well, my wife, sleep well. I love you." And with that I was dead to the world.

**A/N: See, I **_**can**_** write a chapter and not leave you with a cliffy! But hang on to your fangs - now we have to deal with Belinda getting her powers unbound, Ocella, Newlin, Sophie Anne, Bad Faeries and other outside forces….and perhaps a BIG FAT VAMPIRE WEDDING for Sookie, but that may have to wait for the next story in the "Remember Saga" (yes I referred to it as a saga.. insert self important writer crap here…hahaha) But seriously, we got lots of drama a coming! Dum dum dum… I love you my little minions! You all rock! HUGS**


	21. Chapter 21 The Dolphin and The Bird

Chapter 21 – The dolphin and The Bird

A/N: I LOVE MY BETA's they ROCK! Sassyvampmama and kjwrit! I love you guys! To my beloved baby minions you all are wonderful. I am so happy that you are with me on this journey. HUGS

**Please Review** it makes mama minion smile.

**LAST TIME: SPOV**

"**Well Mr. Northman, I have been told sex after marriage can get dull but that was sooooo not dull." I giggled.**

"**Well Mrs. Northman, I am glad that you approve of married sex, since that is the only kind you will be having from now on." He laughed.**

"**I love you Eric."**

"**I love you too my dearest precious one." I cuddled against him as he said those sweet words to me. I closed my eyes and realized I was married to my best friend. I could feel the bond flowing between us as I fell asleep content and happy. The last thing I heard was Eric say,**

"**Sleep well my wife. Sleep well, I love you." And with that I was dead to the world.**

**SPOV**

I woke up in a glorious haze of happiness. I looked over at Eric and even though he was 'asleep' I could feel his happiness through the bond. I kissed his cheek and whispered I love you as I checked the clock. It was ten minutes after ten and although I have no idea why I was awake so early, I decided to get up and get some things done. After taking a luxurious shower and putting on my favorite track suit I headed for Eric's desk. I signed on to the Fangtasia accounts and checked on several vendor orders. It looked to me like everything was in order but decided I would get Belinda to go over everything with me once I was upstairs. Then it hit me that Belinda was not here; she was at Pam's. There was nothing more I could do online so I went upstairs to make brunch and while I ate, I decided that when I finished I would take a walk down to the guest houses to see if Lillianna was around.

The guest houses were more like little cottages that complimented the main estate. Each cottage had its own full kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and resting places for vampires. Eric had obliviously spared no expense when he bought his place and then it dawned on me that 'this is mine' and that I am a married woman now. Maybe we weren't in my world, but we were married in Eric's world and to be honest his world seemed to mean more to me than my own. He was so happy last night. The look on his face when I removed the black velvet from the tray and he saw what I wanted to do was one of pure joy. I was lost in that thought when I heard my name being called.

"Sookie, is that you? Is everything alright?" Lillianna called.

"Yes, everything is wonderful" I said dreamily.

"Says the woman in love… So, how does it feel to be married?" she grinned.

"Strange. When Pam told me about pledging last night I didn't think it would feel like a real marriage to me. I thought I wouldn't feel married until we had a human wedding, but I was wrong. I felt like his wife the minute he said all of those sweet words to me." I paused for a moment before changing gears a little, "Lilli is it weird that I'm turned on by the fact that he's such a badass, but then when he's so gentle with me it still causes the same reaction? I love seeing him fight and growl and be all 'vampirey' but then he'll turn around and give me a gentle smile that is just for me and that turns me on too." I said not really knowing what I was asking her. She smiled and said,

"I remember when Alexander and I were first reunited. We had just made love and he was so sweet and loving when suddenly we found ourselves under attack. Eric had been teaching him to use a sword and he had become a strong warrior. He fought them off one by one slaughtering anyone who dared to come close to either of us. There was so much blood and I should have been terrified but there was something about him killing to protect me that filled me with desire. I wrapped myself around him, popped us both to safety and then promptly attacked him. Nothing would do but for him to be inside me…. Oh, that was probably a little _too_ much information." She giggled. She reminded me of Claudine in some ways and was one of them.

"No, I needed to hear that. Last night something similar happened when I attacked Preston. I just had to have him. Lilli, when you were just Fae did you crave Alex's blood?"

"Oh God yes, he was all I craved and still I do crave him. His blood can still sate me." She said dreamily.

"Do your fangs ever just come down from…?" I was sooo embarrassed to ask her but she was my older cousin so I guessed that I could ask her sex questions, right?

"Oh Sookie, do you have sex questions now that you are Fae? Let me hit the highlights so you don't have to ask okay?" she laughed and I nodded blushing down to my toes.

"Your fangs will now come down during sex with him because he is a vampire and you will crave his blood. If you were with a human man that would not happen; it is a reaction due to the situation. He is your vampire bonded and pledged. Your body knows that your link is through blood therefore your body will crave his blood. Also, there is the fact that you are his fated as well so that just makes it a done deal." She paused for a moment before she asked, "Have you glowed during sex yet?"

"Yes, it seems I heal him when we make love. His guard is down and it's easier for me to get to all of his hurts and wounds."

"You are a healer? That has not happened since Laurell. I have a touch of it, but not like Laurell and now like you. Have you 'brought' him with your light?" She grinned a mischievous grin with that question.

"No, I don't think so." I said with some confusion.

"Sookie, you know your light will come from your WHOLE body and not just your hands right? Believe me, if you'd done it you'd know it." she giggled.

"Not really, that is where it always starts." I advised.

"Sookie you can wake him during the day with your light. I wake Alex all the time when I am lonely. I know it is needy, but sometimes I need to hear his voice during the day." She admitted.

"I have woken Eric during the day without my light. My fear had woken him."

"That is unusual Sookie but wonderful. Your bond with him truly is fated."

"You keep saying that. What does it mean?" I asked with some hesitation.

"I dreamed of you and Eric before I had ever met him. The first time I saw him I was shocked when I remembered him from my dreams. Then the day came that I saw into the future, I saw the night you walked into his bar 850 years before it happened. I knew then that you would be the light to his darkness. I knew it would be you who would save his soul and I knew it would be he who would mend your heart. I did not see what broke you, but I saw that he would mend you as you would heal him." She smiled and hugged me like a big sister. Like Hadley used to before she abandoned us all for drugs and boys.

I really did not want to talk about my past or all of the things that broke my heart so I shifted gears and went for another line of questioning.

"Lilli, how do you think Belinda's magic was bound?" I asked.

"To be honest a witch with very little power that has the right spell can bind powers. It is easier for a Faery to bind another Faery's power, like Fintan did with yours." She explained.

"How did my powers become unbound?"

"A Faery's magic dies with them, so when Fintan died so did the magic that held you." She said sadly.

"But he died right before Gran died and I only just got my powers." I said with some confusion.

"No Sookie, they were always there it is just that now you have learned to access them. Plus Eric's blood seems to help fuel them." She smiled.

"Lilli, did you know Fintan well? I mean he was your uncle right?"

"Yes, I knew him well. He was the exact opposite of my dad. Uncle Fintan was a gentle soul a nurturer. He had so much love and forgiveness in his heart truly only wanting the best for everyone. You remind me so much of him with your kind spirit and sense of justice. That is a trait passed down from him." Once again she smiled like she was thinking of some lost memory before continuing, "If not for him, Alexander would have been lost to me. I have missed him every day since he died."

"Who killed him?"

"We don't know for sure Sookie."

"How did he die?" I asked with hesitation.

"You don't want to know Sookie. It was bad. There was some speculation that it was Breandan's people due to the way he was killed. It had to be someone with Fae knowledge because they knew how to kill him without disintegrating him." She advised in a soft voice.

"If Niall thinks it was Breandan why is he still alive?"

"We have no proof and Niall is powerless to move against him without any evidence. If he were to go after him it would start a civil war."

"But I thought Niall was High Lord of all Fae, why does he need permission to go after Breandan?"

"Niall is the High Lord, but the sky and water Fae are always at odds. Only the Blessed One will be able to reunite them all."

"The Blessed One?" was all I could ask. I swear the mysteries were getting thicker and thicker.

"Yes, The Blessed One, the one who will be born of Earth, Sky and Water." She smiled with that wicked grin that said I know something you don't know.

"What does that mean Lilli? Come on, cut the crap! If you're trying to tell me something then just tell me."

"A Faery will be born of a human mother and her blood will run thick with all Fae blood. Did you know that Laurell's mother was of Earth and Water?"

"No and you're still being cryptic."

"Yes I am but you'll catch up in a minute. And you of course know that Niall and therefore Fintan's bloodline is of Sky Fae." She grinned at me as I caught on,

"So I have a little Earth and Water and a whole lot of Sky Fae in me, right? Is that the point you are trying to make? You think I could be this Blessed One?"

"Yes, we do. I also believe Breandan does as well or he would not have addressed you as he did when you interrupted the blood pledging." She advised.

"What do you mean **WE** and how do you know about that night?"

"We, as in all of your family now believe you could be the Blessed One. As far as that night, Sookie you stormed a Fae portal with the intent of taking out 30 Fae, news like that makes the rounds. Besides, I have my ways of finding out information, Mrs. Northman, I have my ways." She grinned that same shit eating grin again.

I decided not to think anymore about the Blessed One comments or the Fated stuff with Eric. I wanted to know where Lillianna was getting her information on me. I thought for a moment and then simply said one name.

"Claudine."

"Yes, my dear sweet baby cousin is the best spy in the world. When her mother died I stepped in to help her as much as I could. My father prevents me from doing some things and my being a vampire hinders others. I can no longer go into Fae Portals anymore. My control is good, but it is not that good."

"Do you ever see your dad?"

"No, not since he disavowed me."

"I'm sorry Lilli; that must really hurt you."

"It does, but I have Alexander and the best grandparents in the world in Marcus and Laurell." She smiled.

"You don't consider Niall your grandfather?"

"No – not really. He let his pride rule him when I needed him to rule with his heart. Don't get me wrong I would not take anything in this world or any other for my Christean, but being ordered to have a baby with someone I didn't love was difficult for me even though Preston was wonderful through it all." She said sadly.

After a few more sad moments, I shook my head clear and declared,

"Lilli, I have some work to do at Fangtasia. I want to talk to some of the distributors in person when they deliver the stock this afternoon. Do you wanna go with me? You can pass for human." I asked.

"I would love to, but I have to be back here before Alex rises for the evening; he worries." I knew what it was from too. It was from her being taken before and he was terrified of losing her again. So I just nodded in understanding and said,

"Sounds great! I would love to be back in time for when Eric rises too. That was kinda my plan. He loves for me to be in bed with him when he rises. Must be a vampire thing."

"Hey watch the 'vampire' comments missy." She laughed as she linked her arm through mine and we headed for the house to grab one of the cars.

Four hours and many invoices later we were on our way back home. Once there Lillianna kissed my cheek and I headed toward the bedroom to snuggle in with my pledged.

**EPOV**

I awoke to a familiar feeling and I will never grow tired of it, it was Sookie in bed with me. She had on my Louisiana Tech T-Shirt. I loved seeing her in it now remembering it was only last month when I would sit holding it to my face just to breathe in the faint scent of her. Now I was holding her in my arms as I kissed the top of her head. I saw the ring I gave her as it sparkled on her finger and I felt our bond stronger than it had ever been before, it seemed our hearts were now wrapped together somehow. My waking had stirred her from her slumber.

"MMMM baby, I was dreaming we were at the beach and you could walk in the sun with me. It was so pretty and we swam in the ocean. I saw a dolphin and it talked to me…" she was babbling but it was wonderful. I loved her so much and smiled as I laughed in delight,

"Well Lover, that sounds like quite a dream. Why don't you stay all cuddled up and go back to sleep. Maybe the dolphin will talk to you again." She was still sleepy as she replied back to me,

"No, he swam away. He said he had to go home. He lived in the stars…" and she was asleep again.

**SPOV**

I knew on some level that I was dreaming, but somehow it seemed like a memory even though it couldn't be. There was a tall dark man with a thick Spanish accent holding me by my parent's grave at night time. I remembered this, I thought. It was after they died I would sneak out of the house to see them just sit by their grave and talk to them. One night this man showed up, but I wasn't afraid of him. He felt like home and he smelled like momma, he smelled like home. He told me many stories, wonderful stories over many nights. One night he told me one was about a dolphin that saved a sailor because the sailor had a beautiful voice and he used to sing songs out on his boat to the dolphin. One night the dolphin flew up into the sky and became a star so he could always watch over the sailor and show him where to sail his boat. On another night he told me one about this little bird that lived in Australia called a Kookaburra. It was the little bird's job to laugh every morning as to wake everyone as the morning star fade so the people could see the fire light the sky. After many evenings I finally felt safe enough with him to tell the dark stranger about Uncle Bartlett and what he was doing to me. He took me home to Gran and told her what I'd said to him and that was when Gran told me she would protect me and I never had to see Uncle Bartlett again. As he was leaving he bent down, kissing my cheek and he promised he would see me again when I was all grown up. Then everything in the dream got smoky and just faded away.

I half way woke up and saw Eric looking at me with concern as I said,

"I think I met a vampire when I was little and I think he might have glamoured me into forgetting. Or maybe it was just a dream and I shouldn't have chocolate milkshakes for lunch anymore." I kinda laughed as I shook the cobwebs from my head and the memory or dream or whatever it was just faded away from me.

**EPOV**

Sookie's dream had her rattled so I held her close and whispered,

"Sookie I am sure you would have been outted long ago if a vampire had found you when you were a little girl."

"What are you talking about baby?" she asked sleepily.

"When you woke you said you thought you had been glamoured as a child, by a vampire."

"I did? That must have been some dream." She said as she stretched out beside me and ran her hand through my hair. I moaned at the sensation and she whispered,

"Does that feel good baby?" And just like that no one cared about her crazy, chocolate induced dream.

Many hours later I settled between her legs and laid my head on her chest.

"So Mrs. Northman, what did you do today? You smell of other vampires and beer." I smiled

"I worked in your office here for a bit, had a talk with Lilli, and I went into Fangtasia to talk to some of your distributors. You were being over charged by your food distributor. He almost peed in his pants when I told him I was your wife and knew how much to charge for chicken fingers and that I wanted to know why he was charging you double. I mean seriously Eric, I know you don't eat but you own a bar you should have researched that darling." 'Again with the darling' I thought as I said,

"Do you realize you call me darling when you are put out with me?"

"Really darling, I do? I never noticed." She smiled.

"You are a brat my beloved wife." I smiled.

"You love calling me your wife don't you?"

"Yes, I do. I love you so much. You made me so happy by pledging yourself to me last night. It surprised me and made me feel so full of joy. Thank you." I smiled at her and she cuddled against me.

"My lover, we need to get you up and get you fed."

"Do you think Pam and Belinda will be over tonight?"

"No they are running Fangtasia tonight." I smiled.

"Well, I guess Laurell and the gang will be upstairs waiting on us." She said with a knowing look.

"No they won't. They too will be at Fangtasia. They have paperwork to fill out as visiting dignitaries so that Sophie Anne will not get suspicious of them." I advised softly.

"We still have to deal with her don't we?" Sookie asked me with hesitation.

"Not tonight lover, not tonight." I smiled gently and pulled her to her feet.

"Tonight I have a simple plan." I grinned my smirk at her and felt her joy through our bond.

**SPOV**

"You have a plan eh? Well tell me of this elaborate plan of yours." I laughed at him.

"I did not say it was elaborate. It is very simple. I bathe you, I feed you, I fuck you." He growled at me in that low predatory voice that he gets sometimes and he kissed me hard before he added, "I might not keep to that order, but I assure you that those three things will be done, perhaps one more than the others."

He pulled me into the bathroom and undressed me. He wanted me that much was obvious, but it was the way he wanted me. At that moment he was all vampire and it reminded me of how he was when we first met; very alpha dog, very 'this is what I want and I am taking it'. He was all over me and in a very good way. He picked me up and put me against the wall. He thrust into me with a growl. It was hard and fast, just like the orgasm as he brought me hard with him coming right behind me. He washed me clean before gently pulling me from the shower and drying me off. Once he wrapped me in a towel he pulled clothes for me from the closet and he dressed me. I swear to God, I was wet again for him from that alone. He looked at me and smiled that cocky grin that he should have a patent on as he said,

"I can smell how much you want me again, but you have to wait until after you and I have fed." And then again with the grin, damn I love that grin.

"You are such a cocky bastard, you know that right?" I laughed.

"It's not being cocky when you can back it up Sookie." He smirked as he ran his hand between my legs to touch my wetness and then he brought his fingers to his mouth and licked my essence off them. I ran my hands through his hair and whispered,

"You are so bad, but I love you both because of and in spite of it. Alright, let me eat and then I'm going to have to punish you for being such a bad vampire. That is what you're after, isn't it? You want me to take control. You want to see my fangs don't you?" I knew through the bond that was what he wanted and he grinned at me as he nodded in confirmation.

"Alright, let me eat and get my strength up and I'll do things to you that will blow your mind, cowboy." I hadn't said that in a long time, but it seemed right and seemed to do the trick because his fangs ran out along with mine. I held my ground though and went upstairs to see what I could find to eat. Look out Pam's left-over's here I come!

We were upstairs and I was just finishing cleaning up the kitchen when the phone rang. It was Belinda and given the state she was in something told me our quiet night had just been postponed.

"Sookie, do I want my powers unbound? Will my blood taste different to Pam? Will my scent change? Can't I just stay like I am? But if I do that and we're ever attacked what if I can't protect Pam? I would never forgive myself…." There were several more questions before the sniffling started. Eric, with his 'superman' hearing came over to where I stood motioning for the phone and I handed it to him as he put it on speaker so we could both hear.

"My little angel, I could not help but overhear your conversation with Sookie. I think you should calm down and explain to me why this decision needs to be made tonight?" he said soothingly to her.

"Well daddy really wants me to go with him to Fae and have this whole ceremony 'thingy' done but I don't want to leave Pam tonight." She said sadly.

"Where is your father? Surely he is not at Fangtasia?" Eric asked with great concern.

"No. He has called me twice and I think he doesn't really want me to be a vampire even though his mom is one. I do want to go and visit Fae to see where I come from, but I just don't think I'm ready and I'm scared they'll try to keep me there. I think Pam is mad at me for wanting to go at all. She thinks I'll change my mind about being her bonded and her becoming my maker one day. I don't think daddy would hold me there against my will there, but the others might and they did hold grandma there for a year and I can't do that! I can't have a baby with someone I don't love and I can't live a year without Pam! I can't! I told daddy that I might not be able to see him for awhile because all this was scaring me." She sniffed and that was the moment I knew our nice quiet evening in was going to be cancelled. Neither of us could stand for our little angel to cry and then add to the fact that 'our' Pam was hurting too and there was no other option. I nodded to Eric and he said,

"Belinda, we will be there in an hour. Stay there and make no decisions until we reach you and for God sake don't go outside where your father can just pop you away. He has looked for you for 21 years angel. He might not be thinking clearly right now if he thinks you are about to cut and run. Did he say he wanted you to marry a Fae or bear a child?"

"No, he didn't come right out and say it but they made Lilli!"

"Yes, but times are different now and your father loves you. I know that you are used to being abused but I don't think that is his intent. I do think he would pop you to Fae tonight but I think it would be with the best of intentions just to unbind your powers and to show you off. He is very proud of you. I think once you talk to him in person all will be well, but it would be best if it was done with your family around you for support. Sookie and I are on our way and we will call Niall from the car. Are Laurell and Marcus there with Lilli and Alexander?"

"Yes, they are. We are in your office. Lilli just came in with Gammy and they're holding me. They say that Daddy won't make me leave and that everything will be fine." She said softly with relief before adding, "but you'll come, won't you? You and Sookie will come here?"

"Of course we will." we said in one voice. Twenty minutes later we were on the road and I was on the phone with Niall.

"Grandfather, have you or anyone you command told Christean that he needs to bring Belinda to Fae to bear a child for the clan? Because if you have, what I did at the portal will be NOTHING compared to what I'll do if you try and take Belinda from us!" I barked.

"I might have said it would be a good thing for her to do before she is turned, but no, I did not command it be done." he said cryptically.

"Call Christean, tell him he does not have to bring his daughter to Fae and that he can unbind her powers here. Mine were unbound here and so will Belinda's." I ordered.

"I never said he had to do any of that…"

"Yes, but you probably implied it, and I don't want Christean to think he has to choose between you and his daughter. He loves you, but just so you know Niall, he will choose Belinda. He will hide her from you if he has to and I will help him."

"I assure you that's not what is happening here, but I will call him now to let him know that I did not have any such intentions with our Belinda. Sookie you have to trust us, she needs to go to Fae at some point and it may need to be tonight, but I will do nothing without talking to you both first." And with that he hung up.

I looked at Eric and simply said,

"Drive faster!" I love that old man but I don't trust him any further than I can throw him!

**A/N: Next chapter we will deal with the unbinding of Belinda's Powers. Don't worry baby minions. Sookie and Eric will not let anyone take Belinda from Pam. Everything will be fine! Trust momma minion! HUGS**


	22. Chapter 22 My Own

Chapter 22 – My own

A/N: I am writing this on my sick bed and I am totally high on cold medicine. Keep that in mind..haha! I love my baby minions and my two KICKA** editors kjwrit and sassyvampmama. They are awesome and so are their stories you should go read them (after you read this and review it, of course…LOL)

PS I added a paragraph on what is listed as my page two and in some other areas so all mistakes are mine and not my beloved editors.

**LAST TIME: (Sookie and Eric received a panicked phone call from Belinda that interrupted their nice quiet evening. SO they are on their way to Fangtasia to find their little angel and beloved Pammy.)**

**SPOV**

"**Grandfather, have you or anyone you command told Christean that he needs to bring Belinda to Fae to bear a child for the clan? Because if you have, what I did at the portal will be NOTHING compared to what I do if you try and take Belinda from us!" I barked.**

"**I might have said it would be a good thing for her to do before she is turned, but no, I did not command it be done." He said cryptically.**

"**Call Christean, tell him he does not have to bring his daughter to Fae and that he can unbind her powers here. Mine were unbound here and so will Belinda's." I ordered.**

"**I never said he had to do any of that…"**

"**Yes but you probably implied it and I don't what Christean to think he has to choose between you and his daughter. He loves you, but just so you know Niall, he will choose Belinda. He will hide her from you if he has to and I will help him." **

"**I will call him now to let him know I did not have any intent on Belinda being taken. Sookie you have to trust us, she needs to go to Fae at some point and it may need to be tonight, but I will do nothing without talking to you both first."** **And with that he hung up.**

**I looked at Eric and simply said,**

"**Drive faster!" I love that old man but I don't trust him any further than I can throw him!**

**EPOV**

Belinda ran into my open arms while reaching for Sookie as well. It was obvious she was upset. Her tears fell freely as she begged,

"Please take me home. I just want to go home…please…so scared…Pam's mad…please… I hurt." Belinda sobbed and it reminded Sookie and me of not so long ago when she said the same thing to me. She took Belinda from me and sent her thoughts into my mind,

'_You go find Pam. See what has her being mean to our little angel and then we are all going home until this shit is solved or I beat the hell out of Niall, whatever comes first at this point!'_ I knew by that comment that Sookie was over the drama. I stalked toward Pam's office half expecting her to be yelling or pouting but instead she was sitting with her head in her hands sobbing. Seeing the blood red tears run through her fingers and onto her lap had my heart softening at the sight.

"I'm here now my little child. Pamela, I am here." I said as I pulled her into my arms.

"I don't deserve her anyway. She should go. She should have children and sunlight on her face. She should not be condemned to just the night. I love her so much but I don't deserve her. She is too good for me. I am such a bitch and she is so kind." Pam continued to sob.

"Pam she is half Fae. She is going to live for hundreds and hundreds of years. She could live to be 700 or so; you do realize that don't you? And you are not a bitch, all the time." I smiled trying to lighten the moment, "You have a kind heart for those lucky enough to see it." I was unsure of Pam's knowledge of Faery heritage and wanted to reassure her that she was more than_ just_ a vampire.

"Really, she could live to be 700 without me turning her? And you really think I can be kind enough to deserve her love?" she asked with some hope.

"Yes, and you have to let her make her own decisions. Do you know what she said on the phone to me?" I asked, and Pam shook her head no.

"She said that she did not want to go to Fae because she could not live without you. She said she did not want to have someone's baby that she did not love and that she could not live a day let alone a year without you." Pam's tears seemed to slow as she looked at me and smiled.

"Really, she said all that?" I nodded before she continued, "I've really hurt her, haven't I?"

"Yes, but all it will take is for you to tell her you love her and you're sorry. Tell her everything you just told me and that you just got scared, alright?" I said softly as I held her in my arms and squeezed her one last time in support. Sometimes I forget that she was just a girl when I turned her. She had never had love as a human and while I do love her, I had never been in love with her. Keillen was her only point of reference when it came to love and that ended so badly for her that she was now terrified of what was to come. She was terrified of losing Belinda. She was preparing herself for the other shoe to drop. She was preparing for the pain of loss.

I sent a mental note to Sookie just to let her know Pam was not meaning to be unkind to Belinda but that she herself was scared. Sookie opened the door to the office and Belinda, seeing that Pam was crying, that was all it took for her to shoot out of Sookie's embrace and fly to Pam's side.

"Oh Pam, please don't cry. It will be okay. I promise. I love you so much and I will never leave you. I promise honey." They clung to each other and I smiled at Sookie.

"They are beginning to work through all of the problems we have already faced." I smiled yet again as I continued, "I am going to go get Laurell and the others from my office and we are going home. Christean can meet us there. We will settle all of this tonight. I am not having my girls crying and my wife upset." They all simply nodded as they cuddled into each other's embrace. It was a beautiful sight to behold. I walked to my office and opened the door to a hilarious sight. Thalia, Laurell, Marcus, Lillianna and Alexander were trying to work the Wii golf game.

"I really don't see the point of this." Laurell said as Lillianna looked to me with her eyes rimmed in red. It was obvious to me that Laurell and the others, with maybe the exception of Thalia, were trying to distract Lillianna and make her feel better by playing the game. Lillianna still looking to me asked,

"Eric, how is she? She quit talking to me all of a sudden and just ran out. She was able to sense that you and Sookie were here, that is odd, is it not?" she just rambled out.

"Yes it is odd, and to answer your question, she is fine now. Pam, Belinda and Sookie are all cuddled together like a pile of kittens." I answered and then I paused, wondering if she could sense us now, how strong would our bond be when she and Pam were fully bonded? Then suddenly I had had enough questions and of this night in general and barked loudly, "We are all going home right now." I guessed it was a little too bluntly for Laurell's taste as she raised an eyebrow at me. So I rephrased, "I would very much appreciate it if my Queen and her family would accompany me home so that I may secure my girls. I feel they will all feel better once they are home where they feel safe." I smiled at Laurell as she rose to embrace me while smiling gently as she said,

"Oh my littlest Vampire, all the problems you cause me. If I end up in another Fae/Vampire war over this," she pause dramatically, "I will end it sooner rather than later if they raise one hand to my granddaughters or my little Viking. I love you all so much." She said as she scanned the room giving each of us a solid look of knowing. It was as if she was remembering special times between us. She then looked to Marcus and fell to her knees before him.

"My King, please don't let anyone take Sookie or Belinda from us and protect our family." was her plea and it was not lost on me that she addressed him as King or how his own face changed as he saw the fear in her eyes. Sometime I forgot how much she lost in the Fae war.

"No one will take anyone you love from you ever again, if it is in my power to prevent it. I give you my promise and my vow as your King, Marker and most importantly, as your husband. Now you may rise, my beloved Queen you never have to kneel before me." He had placed his hand over his heart while he spoke and I knew it had a special meaning to them as I had seen him do this before over the years and it always made Laurell smile. She rose and flew into his arms. He cradled her in his arms and I didn't know what else to say so I simply said,

"Let's go home." With that we collected Sookie, Belinda, and Pam, and then we were on our way. As we walked to the parking lot I realized that Thalia was walking along behind us. I started to ask who was running the bar, but I knew that Thalia would not leave unless she had it covered and she herself was worried. She gave me a nod and simply said,

"I believe it would be in everyone's best interest if I accompany you my Sherriff." When an ancient vampire, one that is as good a warrior as she was, tells you that you might need her… you tell her to get in the car.

**SPOV**

It was a quiet ride home. Eric stroked my hand with his and then absently reached over and brushed my hair out of my face. Pam and Belinda were behind us in her minivan and the last car contained the rest of the family- FAMILY, my own family, for that's what they were. I would do whatever I had to do to protect them. Eric picked up on my thoughts as he said,

"And I will protect you. No one will take you from me. I will be honest though, I think this little crisis is just the ladies of the family over reacting due to past transgressions. I do not think Christean or Niall have any intent on trying to take Belinda. I know he can't take you, number one, you would kick his ass and number two, it was agreed on at the blood oathing and I have it in writing." he advised.

"I know that he will not try to forcibly take her but he might try to use her love and need of family to talk her into doing something she doesn't want to do." I paused for a moment before asking, "Why is Thalia coming home with us?"

"She said that it would be in all of our best interest if she came and she addressed me as Sherriff. I think that was her way of saying she would war for us since the parties involved are our family. She would not hesitate to protect you, whereas, you might hesitate to protect yourself if it was against family. The same might be said for Belinda as well. I think she sees herself in Belinda and you due to how you were all abused by people that were supposed to protect and love you" he explained.

"Eric, tell me everything is going to be okay; tell me you will fix this. I don't want a fight. I love my new family. I like Christean and I don't want to have to hurt him." I begged and pleaded as tears flooded my eyes.

"Sookie, I really believe everything is fine and that Christean has no intentions on trying to take Belinda to Fae for any other reason than to show her off. I also believe if she tells him she is not ready to go that he will not force her or even care. I really do believe it is a HUGE misunderstanding." I smiled a little at his words and hoped he was right.

Once we arrived home, I looked around to make sure everyone had made it. Belinda and Pam were sitting on the love seat wrapped in each other's embrace, it seemed Belinda was comforting Pam more than Pam comforting Belinda, which was new. Laurell, Marcus, Lillianna, Alexander and Thalia were at different points in the house and seemed to be on watch. Eric reappeared from our bedroom and I was shocked to see he was armed. He handed a sword to Thalia and then motioned to Marcus.

"My library…it's just like the lay out you have and it is the same password." And with that cryptic message, Marcus and Alexander disappeared down the hall and then reappeared with more weapons. I watched as they passed them out to everyone and took comfort in knowing I had my own weapon deep within me as I started calling my magic and weaving it through the room. I didn't even want to think about where all that weaponry came from. I always thought of that library as a sanctuary, but I doubted I would ever think of it in the same way again. Then the knowledge of how to ward the house to make it even safer came to the forefront of my mind, as if it had always been there just out of reach in my subconscious mind until now, so I did and it amazed me how easily my magic was coming to me. I then walked to Lillianna and whispered,

"We will protect Christean. If this is not a misunderstanding and it comes to war I will not let anyone hurt your son." She smiled and said,

"I know my child's heart and I know it is not in his heart to hurt Belinda, but I think there are those who want to take her. I don't think it is Niall. I think it may be Breandan and his people. They would seek to kill her for she is not whole. She is merely half Fae and they hate half Fae." she said with concern before walking to Belinda and embracing her and Pam.

"I have a question, why does Breandan not hate me. He addressed me as royalty." I was surprised that it was Marcus who answered me. He rarely spoke, but when he did you listened. His voice resonated with power and knowledge, but it had a softness to it that made you draw near to him and listen.

"He does hate you Sookie but why does any man who is evil do anything that they do? They can overlook anything for power and Sookie, **you are power**. I am older than the pharaohs and I have rarely tasted a power as strong as yours. So make no mistake Sookie, _he hates you_, but not as much as he wants to use you and your power." Marcus answered and I finally understood. I knew in my head what I had felt in my heart earlier when I talked to Niall on the phone.

"Christean and Niall want to take Belinda to Fae to protect her. They think that Breandan is going to try to kill her or take her to use against me." I felt fury and rage in my heart like the night Eric had been hurt. I walked to the center of the room and whispered,

"I'll be right back!" and with that I popped to the location I knew I needed to be.

**EPOV**

She sent me peace and calm before she popped out of the den. I felt lost and knew immediately that she was no longer in this realm. I could not feel her at all. She was gone. I went down on one knee and felt Laurell come to my side.

"Can anyone follow her?" I yelled.

"I am trying!" Lillianna frantically called. I could tell she was trying to locate Sookie with her magic and then she shook her head no.

"I can't follow her. She is at the royal court…shit…The Water Royal Court." She looked at me and all I could do was pray to my gods, and even to Sookie's, that she knew what she was doing and that she had the power to take on what she was about to bite off. I then pulled my cell phone out and called Niall telling him all I knew and he assured me he would bring her home to me.

**SPOV **

Breandan looked shocked when I popped into his private room off the throne room. I simply smiled and said,

"Breandan, we need to talk." I tried to keep my temper in check. He nodded and motioned for us to walk out onto the balcony. It was truly a beautiful sight. I had not seen my homeland before and I wished it could have been under better circumstances. I stood and looked out over the lovely waterfall and green grassy valley that lie underneath his private balcony. He spoke first,

"Beautiful, is it not? Almost as beautiful as you." He said in almost a loving tone, one which gave me the creeps, so I chose to ignore it and continued with my mission.

"It has been brought to my attention that there are SOME Fae who mean to harm my baby cousin, Belinda. She is the lost child of Christean who was to be called Nialla. She has been found and she is under MY PROTECTION and under the protection of My Bonded and Pledged, Eric Northman. As you know, Belinda is of the royal line and a direct descendant of Niall Brigant. So needless to say she is under his protection as well, so it would not be good for you if anything were to ever happen to her." I paused to see how receptive he was to what I said.

"So what do you want from me?" his tone had changed to a cold distant sound that actually comforted me more than when he was trying to be nice.

"I want you to offer Belinda your oath of protection." I said with a straight face, and damn it, that was hard, "I also want you to promise that you will not, nor any hand that you command, ever touch that girl."

"And what do I get in return for doing this?" he asked evilly.

"You get to live." I growled as my fangs descended. There was a knock at the door and some underling announced that the Prince of Fae, Niall Brigant, was here.

"Show him in. He needs to be present for this." he tried to say calmly but I knew he was rattled.

"Niall, good to see you, Sookie and I were just discussing your other granddaughter. Congratulations on finding her and her being reunited with your family. I am going to offer the girl my formal protection. Sookie is under the impression that people in my clan are going to try to harm her. I have no idea where that came from, but I am certainly not going to let it stand! There will be a formal investigation." He said, and in that moment I knew that he had been part of the plan that somehow took Belinda from Christean in the first place when she was an infant. Niall had a poker face much like Eric's as he said,

"Thank you Breandan. And while I am here would you by chance know the whereabouts of my grandson, Christean?"

"He came for a visit earlier tonight, but due to circumstances beyond my control I have not yet been able to greet him. He is in the other waiting room." He said cryptically. I knew that he was behind the phone calls and that Christean was refusing to help him. I also knew Christean was hurt.

"Bring Christean in here NOW. He will be leaving with us; his daughter wants to see him." I growled. I was so ready to kill this guy. Christean was brought in and it was obvious he had been beaten.

"Why the hell was he beaten?" I growled.

"He attacked several in my court. I was well within my rights to retaliate, but I kept Neave from hurting him anymore than she did. You should count yourself lucky."

"Yes I guess I should, he could have ended up like my grandfather."

"Is that an accusation, Miss Stackhouse?"

"It's Northman, Mrs. Northman, what part of pledged did you miss. Trust me Breandan if I ever get proof that you or a hand that you commanded killed my grandfather, I WILL KILL YOU. But until then as long as you leave me and mine alone, I will leave you and yours alone, deal?" and with that I stuck out my hand and prayed to God he took it so I could delve into his mind. He knew what I was trying to do so instead he bowed deeply and said,

"I give you, Sookie Stackhouse Brigant Northman, Princess of Fae, my vow, I nor anyone that I command will harm any of your people or you, yourself. Leave and go in good health and with the promise of my friendship." He then stood with his head still bowed.

"Thank you Breandan, I knew you could be reasonable." I then turned to Niall and Christean, "We should go." I popped us to the back side of the property near the guest houses. I did not want to take Christean in looking so bad.

"Niall, help me clean him up. You two are really unbelievable! Why did you not just call me and tell me what was going on? Christean, there was no way you should've gone there on your own!" I snapped as I wiped at Christean's bloody brow. I lit my hands and did what I could, but I had expended so much energy on the pop to the other world and on reigning in my anger while I was there that I was too weak to fix everything, although he already looked much better than he did when we got here. I sputtered and asked again what he was thinking going there alone when he finally answered,

"You did." was his only reply.

"Oh that is really mature! Not to mention totally different." I know, not mature on my part either, sue me! I knew that I didn't have complete control of my powers, and it was foolish for me to be as rash as I had been, but when I felt that rage it controlled me and I had to go and confront Breandan.

"Sookie, we thought we could take care of it and not involve you and Belinda." Niall explained.

"But do you see that by leaving us out you made us doubt you. That you put us in a horrible spot? Do you realize how badly Belinda has been abused in her life and that you made her think you were about to do the same thing to her? No one has ever loved her for free; love in her life has always come at a HIGH price and then turned out to not be love at all. She was terrified tonight." I said a little louder than I meant to. Christean stood with some effort and said,

"Take me to my little girl, do it now." He said in that 'daddy voice' that I remember mine using with me when he was worried. So I did as he asked and we all started for the house. When we reached the door by the pool deck off the den where we were greeted by some pissed off vampires and one really mad little human!

"Sookie Marie Stackhouse Brigant Northman…." _'Wow, how did she get all that in with one breathe was my thought…' _"if you ever do anything as stupid and pigheaded as pop to an enemy camp without a plan of action, I will make sure you can NEVER pop again…. Do you understand me young lady?" was what Laurell yelled in typical grandma fashion. She had to work in my whole name to get that full sail of steam to tell me off. Marcus just stood there shaking his head, muttering that I was young and impetuous. Pam went another route, guilt.

"Do you enjoy making us worry? Do you like making Eric scared out of his mind? You swore once to me that you would never just pop away again and what did you just do? What was that Sookie?" she didn't give me time to say anything. Not that I think she wanted me to, at the moment she just needed to be mad at me. Alexander gave me a look that could kill as Lillianna just shook her head and walked to her son. She might or might not have cursed at me under her breath in Fae. Everyone was yelling at me at the same time but Eric had said nothing. I could barely feel him. He had a tight rein on his emotions as Belinda took her turn to yell at me.

"Sookie! You scared the crap out me and Eric was a wreck! I can't believe you just popped out of here like that!" Belinda shouted and then she saw her dad standing behind me.

"Daddy, oh Daddy, you're hurt." She hugged him and he winced as he said,

"Not too bad, and don't be too mad at Sookie, she saved me." He smiled.

"Thank you Sookie." She cuddled against her dad as he spoke.

"I was hasty in trying to secure your safety, but Sookie was able to secure it for us. Everything is going to be fine. Daddy loves you so much Belinda and I will NEVER abandon you or leave you. No matter if you are my little faery or if you are my little vampire, daddy will love you the same." He smiled and Belinda melted into his embrace. I watched Lillianna embrace Belinda and Christean. Niall held all of them for a moment before backing away so Laurell could embrace them as well. Laurell looked to Niall and then to me and mouthed 'thank you'. I walked slowly to Eric who still had said nothing but was staring intently at me. I was half way to him when he cut off our bond entirely. I immediately went down on my knees and gasped.

**EPOV**

She was safe! I listened to what was being said, but she was safe and that was all that mattered. I was furious with her for going to Fae unarmed and without any help. It had been a terrifying hour. I watched her walk towards me and I was so hurt and so angry that I did not want her to feel it through our bond. That but more importantly to my pride I wanted her to feel how horrible she had made me feel. I knew it was wrong, but my pride did it anyway. I cut off our bond and she went down like a rock, just like I had earlier when she popped to Fae.

"Doesn't feel too good does it?" I growled in a tone I had not used with her since well before Jackson, "That is what I felt when you popped out of here. At least you can look up and see that I am here and that I am alive!" My whole body shook. I was so relieved but angry at the same time. She had acted so recklessly. "Do you not realize that I CANNOT EXIST WITHOUT YOU? Do you care so little for me that you would just go off half cocked? You had **no** plan, **no** exit strategy…you just acted on impulse and power or no power YOU CANNOT DO THAT and expect to keep on living! And you were somewhere that I could NOT get to you and turn you if the worst had happened! Did any of this go through your mind? Did you think of anything at all?" I finally ran out of questions to yell and I went to my knees in front of her slowly opening the bond. Even on my knees she still had to look up at me as she cried and said,

"I only wanted to protect OUR family. I was so angry at him. I'm so sorry. I would never hurt you on purpose. I love you." And with that she collapsed in a ball onto the floor. It reminded me of how I saw her lying in the same position on the night she begged for death when I had forgotten her. It also did not escape me that she said 'I would never hurt you on purpose.' I knew that held a two-fold meaning; one, that she had not meant to hurt me and second, I was closing off the bond to intentionally hurt her. I realized in that moment that I was breaking my promise to her. In some small way I was abandoning her and I had promised to never do that again. I felt the familiar ache in my chest that had not so long ago been a constant companion to me. I had thought the ache was me missing Sookie when she was gone those 30 nights of agony from when I forgot her and our love. Now, I realized that was only part of the feeling, the true pain, the real ache in my chest was the pain in her heart. The ache was not my pain, it was never my pain. It was Sookie's.

"Damn it." I said as I pulled her into my arms. I kissed her hair and breathed her in deeply. "I love you so much. I'm sorry Lover. I shouldn't have lost my temper. I was scared. I swear I am not leaving. I love you…" Somewhere in the middle of my rant the room had cleared and we were alone. I walked with her in my arms to the couch and cuddled her as I rocked her and continued to tell her I loved her and was so, so sorry.

I held her as she continued to cry. I could hear her mumbling and I caught part of it,

"I didn't break my promise… didn't run… was trying to protect everyone… too much… all alone…I hurt…didn't run…" she started to hiccup and I knew that I had reacted like a total ass. She had not broken her promise but I had broken mine. I had abandoned her by closing off the bond.

I softened my voice even more. I spoke to her in the same tone I'd had to use that awful night in my office when she had returned to me. "Sookie, please forgive me. I am so sorry. I didn't mean to make you hurt. I am so sorry my lover, my wife. Please talk to me. Please tell me you can forgive me." I begged. After a long time she acknowledged me much like she had that night with a sniffle before she spoke.

"Of course I forgive you but you have to forgive me too. We are a team and I acted alone without asking you for your advice or input. Eric, I'm so sorry. It was just that this rage overcame me, and I didn't know how to control it other than by seeking out the one causing it. I should have stopped and thought before I acted. I won't do that again. I promise. I won't put myself in danger without talking to you first ever again. I was just so angry and one minute I was here and the next I was demanding Breandan leave us all alone. I am so sorry baby. I ruined our honeymoon." She started to cry again but I shushed her and said,

"I apologize for my bad behavior and I accept your apology. I also appreciate your promise that your won't do this again. I promise I will never cut off our bond again to punish you. That was wrong and it is one thing for one of us to do it to protect the other or to surprise the other, but we should never do it to punish. It was wrong and I will never do it again for that purpose, I swear." I smiled at her and she smiled back at me as she wrapped her arms around me and whispered,

"You are the best husband ever. I love you!" and with that our fight was over. Now to clear the house of all these people, family or not, they needed to go and I needed to be alone with my bonded, pledged and my very world! We made our way to the kitchen as we thought that was where everyone had most likely retreated to when all hell broke loose between Sookie and me. Laurell and Marcus looked up, concerned for me, like good parents should but Laurell gave me a look that also said, 'don't hurt my girl or I will kick your butt'. Everyone else seemed to be taking care of Christean and talking about unbinding Belinda's power. What surprised me was that Thalia was blotting Christean's forehead with a towel and rubbing her blood into one of the more nasty wounds. Before I could ask or comment on anything our little angel spoke.

"So how does it work and what will I be able to do?" Belinda asked.

"Well, you should be able to pop like Sookie and I do. You might have the power over your light, like Sookie does, mine is limited in that way now that I am a vampire. As far as how the unbinding works it is fairly simply, Niall will kiss you." Lillianna explained.

"No one is kissing my woman." Pam exclaimed.

"Ewww, not that like you perv. Even I knew what she was talking about Pam. He is going to kiss me like in the fairytales, right? A prince's kiss?" Belinda put it all together correctly. That is all it takes.

"Yes, that is correct." Niall laughed and Pam would have blushed if a vampire could.

With that Niall walked to Belinda and kissed her on the forehead, both cheeks and lightly on her lips. He then whispered,

"What was done now be undone." He then backed away as he smiled to Christean who did the same to Belinda. When her father backed away from her he said,

"It is finished. How do you feel?"

"I feel the same. I don't feel any different." She said but Pam's eyes dilated as she stepped toward Belinda and said,

"She smells different. She smells incredible, so much stronger than any of you." She seemed to be tapping down the desire to kiss Belinda as she pulled her forward. "Damn it, I want her and I don't even care that the room is full of people. She has to learn to mask this. I'll never be able to keep her safe otherwise."

Belinda looked unfazed at me and said, "So old man, do I smell any different to you?" she giggled and I said,

"No, but I'm used to Sookie's scent, and due to her unique situation it is very strong with Fae and I am used to the fragrant smell of faery, so you have nothing to fear from me." I smiled and hugged our little angel. Sookie looked at Belinda and explained popping, hiding her scent and how to pull her magic around her. We all gave them a wide berth, everyone except for Christean, Lilli and Niall, who were tutoring their newest student. Belinda looked at me from across the room and then POP she was right beside me!

"That is sooooo cool! How the hell did I do that?" she giggled and clapped her hands as she bounced into my arms and made me laugh a real laugh for the first time tonight.

It took Belinda a few more tries but soon she was able to pop again and again. Sookie then tried to help her pull the light from her hands, and after great effort on her part, she was able to make a little ball of light. She played with the ball like a kitten would a ball of string before Sookie explained how to throw it and how to extinguish it. Belinda was in the middle of extinguishing the ball of light when she accidentally dropped it on the floor and burnt a hole in my rug.

"Umm Eric, please tell me this is just some rug you got at Wal-Mart and not some real expensive antique rug from some frou-frou store?" she said, never looking at me just staring at the hole.

"Yes it is an inexpensive rug I picked up at some flea market years ago." I lied and she smiled a smile of relief. Pam leaned over and whispered,

"Isn't that the rug, among other things, that the Queen of Norway gave you for saving her daughter?"

"Well, it was." Sometimes to protect your family you have to take one for the team. Sookie grinned from across the room at me with a knowing look of appreciation as she said,

"Belinda, maybe tomorrow we should practice this outside or in Eric's sparing room."

"Yeah Sookie, I think that might be best." She smile embarrassed, as she walked back to me with her little head down.

"You are doing well. I am proud of you little angel. Don't worry about the rug." I grinned.

"No one's ever been proud of me before." She said very proudly as she raised her little head, squared her shoulders and walked with a confidence we were all just beginning to see in her. After an hour or so everyone started to retire for the night and I was looking forward to alone time with Sookie. Especially after all that had transpired tonight, I still needed to know what Breandan agreed to and more importantly what Sookie promised him in return. I know better than most that making a promise to a Faery can be tricky at best sometimes. I also had to make things right with my sweet Faery Princess. It was going to be a long night, but sometimes it was good to be Eric Northman.

**A/N: SO okay there was no make-up lemon this chappy… but it is a comin' and it will make u sweat! I am working really hard on getting this story done for you guys, and in a timely manner, but I have some personally things/events coming up that may hamper me a small tad, so I just ask for your patience and love. HUGS**


	23. Chapter 23 I am the bill

Chapter 23 – I am the bill

A/N: I love my content editor** KJWRIT** and my Beta **SASSYVAMPMAMA**; go to their profiles and check out their stuff! There are new stories! I also want to thank all of you for reading and reviewing. There is a big ole lemon in this one that is REALLY steamy so beware. As always, I own nothing CH does. HUGS

_**Please review if you have a moment I am getting really close to 500 reviews! WOW**_

**LAST TIME: (also Sookie stormed a castle, saved Christean, Secured Belinda's safety, had a fight with Eric about her careless actions and her own safety and then…)**

**EPOV**

"**Umm Eric, please tell me this is just some rug you got at Wal-Mart and not some real expensive antique rug from some frue-frue store?" Belinda said never looking at me just staring at the hole.**

"**Yes it is an inexpensive rug I picked up at some flea market years ago." I lied and she smiled a smile of relief. As Pam leaned over and whispered,**

"**Isn't that the rug that the Queen of Norway gave you, among other things, for saving her daughter?"**

"**Well, it was." Sometimes to protect your family you have to take one for the team. Sookie grinned from across the room at me with a knowing look of appreciation as she said,**

"**Belinda, maybe tomorrow we should practice this outside or in Eric's sparring room."**

"**Yeah Sookie, I think that may be best." She smiled, an embarrassed, smile as she walked back to me with her little head down. **

"**You are doing well. I am proud of you little angel. Don't worry about the rug." I grinned.**

"**No one's ever been proud of me before." She said very proudly as she raised her little head, squared her shoulders and walked with a confidence we were all just beginning to see in her. After an hour or so later everyone started to retire for the night and I was looking forward to alone time with Sookie. Especially after all that had transpired tonight, I still needed to know what Breandan agreed to and more importantly what Sookie promised. I also had to make things right with my sweet Faery Princess. It was going to be along night but sometimes it is good to be Eric Northman.**

**SPOV**

I watched everyone leave and retire for the evening before walking out onto the deck again to look up at the stars. Eric came up behind me and wrapped me in his arms in a comforting embrace.

"Is this going to be our thing?" I asked with a goofy grin.

"'Our thing', Lover? Whatever do you mean?" he questioned.

"At the end of the night before we go to bed are we always going to look at the stars together and talk about everything that is going on?" both a question and an explanation.

"Yes, I think that should be our 'thing'. That way, our lives will never intrude on our bedroom and future resting chamber." He smiled. I loved how happy it made him to talk of when he would turn me. It didn't frighten me to think about it anymore like it used to and he could feel that through our bond with me knowing that made him happy as well.

"Well I suppose you want to know what happened with Breandan."

"Yes Lover, I need to know everything that occurred there." He said in that serious 'Sheriff Tone' of voice that I have heard him use over the years. I explained about the fury and rage I felt at my family being threatened and recanted my tale leaving nothing out. I caught him smiling more than once at my brazenness, but he frowned when I came to the part of practically accusing Breandan of my Grandfather's death. I knew when I said it that it had been foolish, but I wanted a way out of my agreement with Breandan and that seemed to be the only way to do it. I had promised to leave him alone if he left me alone with the exception of if I ever had proof he killed Fintan. If that ever happened all bets were off and I could kill him. Eric seemed to understand my reasoning and said,

"I understand. I know what it is like to need revenge in the name of someone you love." He said sadly and I knew that he was thinking of Lydia so I cuddled closer and changed the subject to Belinda. We talked about her powers and how unstable she seemed, but I was sure though that with both mine and Lillianna's help she could become a force to be reckoned with because she wanted to learn. She wanted to make us proud and to be able to protect herself, but more than that, she wanted to protect Pam. Our discussion then turned to Pam and Belinda and the wedding that **PAM** was planning for us. It was then that the laughter began and I felt the lightness return to our bond and then we simply stared up at the stars in a comfortable silence as we held each other close. I broke the silence first,

"We should move the sofa over here, that way we can cuddle up on it with a blanket on colder nights." I babbled and Eric simply nodded before he lowered his lips to mine and whispered,

"Now that the world has been taken care of, it is time for me to take care of you, MY Sookie." With that he picked me up and started back in the house toward our bedroom, and future resting chamber as my beloved husband had pointed out. I smiled at the thought and wondered silently in my mind if I would be able to fly when I was a vampire and Eric so in tuned with my mind 'heard' the thought so he laughed out loud as he reached the elevator.

"You are so greedy! You can already pop anywhere in this world or any other and you want to fly too?"

"Yep, I want it all. Flying, popping, day walking, fangs, forever with you…yep that just about covers it." I said as that dadgum baby daydream floated through my head as well.

"Lover, there are ways for you to be a Mother if it is truly your desire. I will not stand in your way." He said sadly. It was sweet, but unnecessary as my fantasy, my true desire, was not possible. What I wanted was to have his baby and unless I could figure out how to time travel, go back over 1000 years, find Erikk preferably while I was ovulating, and talk him into sleeping with me when he was still hopelessly in love with Aude…yeah, I would not be having a baby anytime soon. SIGH~~

**EPOV**

"Time travel Lover? Well you have always thought outside the box." I smiled as I began to punch in the security codes so I could carry my beloved to our room. "So then, the dream is for you to have MY baby, not just A baby?" I asked quietly.

"Yes." Was all she replied.

"Sookie, if there was a way, I would love to be the father of your children, but Lover, I have been dead for over a thousand years. There is no hope for us to have a child of our own unless there is a magic I have no knowledge of, and a child progeny who was born and not made would be a jewel in any vampire's crown. So if it could be done there would at the very least be rumors. We could talk to Marcus or Niall." I offered before continuing with my line of thinking, "Sookie, any child you bore would be mine, so if you want…"

"No, that is not the dream. In the dream they are yours… your babies. A little boy and girl with your eyes and hair and my nose, because let's face it my nose is cuter than your nose." She grinned and giggled to lighten the mood.

"You are greedy, a boy and a girl…" I laughed.

"No, that really is my dream. I dream about a little girl and boy that I believe are our daughter and son and I think they're supposed to be twins. The description I gave you is what they look like in those dreams. Would you like to know what their names are?" she asked as I nodded and began to settled into our sofa off the bedroom with her in my arms.

"Our daughter is Aunna Adele and our son is Johan Corbett, we call them Adele and JC. Well, I call them Adele and JC…you call them 'my little princess' and 'little warrior'. I know where the girl's name comes from, but the boy's first name makes no sense to me at all." She giggled.

"I understand the boys name, Johan was the name I gave my oldest son." I said somewhat stunned.

"Oh, I don't remember you telling me his name. You've always just referred to him as 'my oldest boy' from what I recall." She said quizzically.

"That is because I haven't said his name. It hurts me to say any of their names, really. I only told you of Aunna because I needed you to know my pain that night." My emotions stopped me from saying anything else. She touched my chest where my heart should beat and kissed my cheek before continuing.

"Then how did I know it? How did it get into my dream? Do you think maybe I just picked it out of your brain? I mean we do share memories and thoughts, maybe that is it?" she tried to reason out her questions.

"I don't know Lover, perhaps, but we will talk of all this with Marcus and Laurell tomorrow night." I offered while continuing to play with her hair and rubbing my face in the crook of her little neck. We there with me playing with her hair and rubbing my face on her neck for quite some time before she surprises me with a confession.

"Eric, I have a secret." She whispered with a blush on her cheeks.

"Tell me Lover." I whisper with anticipation for I can now smell her arousal.

"When you cover me in your scent it makes me wet." Well it would seem someone wanted to play so who am I to disappoint?

"What do I make wet Sookie?" I growled against her neck and she purred for me. Shit that is so damn hot. Her little fangs started to make an appearance.

"My naughty little pussy Eric, you make it so wet and hot."

"Is it wet and hot now Sookie?"

"Oh yes…"

"Let me feel. I want to see if you are telling me the truth." I ran my hands down her body and back up her inner thigh where I could feel the moisture through her panties.

"Oh Sookie, your panties are wet. That is a naughty little faery. How long have you been laying there with your little pussy getting your panties wet?"

"When you first started playing with my hair, it makes me want you to pet me other places." She had a small whimper to her voice. I began to stroke her through her panties while she ground down onto my hand and I slipped the small piece of fabric to one side releasing a rush of wet heat that immediately hit my palm. I lifted my hand away from her as I licked away the liquid evidence of my bonded arousal savoring every drop of her sweet essence.

"Oh Sookie, that tastes incredible and like you I AM GREEDY and I want more. Pull your panties down and let me watch you play with your pussy. Get it very wet for me Lover and then feed me." She was panting writhing with every word that left my lips causing her to move quickly until she had stripped down to nothing. She spread her legs wide giving me an unobstructed view of her ministrations as she began to finger her little nub. When she thought her fingers were wet enough she brought them to my mouth and feed me her sweet essence. That was all it took for me to dive between her legs with my tongue licking and sucking until she came again and I drank her down. She was screaming and thrashing as I crawled up her body to her luscious breasts and began feasting on her nipples. She thought I was about to enter her but she was wrong. I wanted more of her sweetness and was just giving her little nub time to calm down. I knew it was sensitive right after she came that hard so I gave her a few minutes before I made my way back down between her legs. She jerked at my shoulder,

"Inside me please…." She panted.

"Not yet, I want more…give me more of your sweet cum and I promise to fuck you anyway you want it…" was my vow to her.

"On my knees, I want to be on my hands and knees…"

"Then cum for me Sookie…." She moaned as I continued to demand what I wanted, "…cum right fucking now… your pussy belongs to **me** and I want it to cum now!" I commanded and she obeyed. She surprised me with a little rain shower…damn it I love a rainmaker and Sookie was definitely a rainmaker. I am the luckiest vampire on earth!

"I came for you Master, did I do good?" she whimpered.

"Yes, I am so proud of you. Now get on your hands and knees and I will give you your reward." I growled at her and she quickly got to her knees and presented her sweet little pussy to me in wonderful way.

"Please Eric?" she whined and I was glad she could not see the self approving grin I had on my face. The pride she makes me feel when she begs and calls my name is something I have never felt.

"This… this is what you want?" I asked as I teased her entrance with just the tip of my cock.

"Yes Sir…oh Yes master…" and then she was incoherent. We fucked and drank from each other until I was tired and I am a damn vampire so that is saying something. She lay down on her stomach as I pulled out of her and she didn't move as I got off the bed. I retrieved a warm washcloth and cleaned her gently as I always tended to do after I have ridden her a little too hard.

"Sookie, are you alright?" I asked softly.

"mmm-uh" was the only reply I received. I laughed to myself as I pulled her PJ's on her and then climbed into bed with her. She was sound asleep when I heard my private phone line ring. It was not close enough to dawn to just let it go to voice mail so I pulled myself from her embrace and begrudgingly answered the phone.

"Good evening Sherriff." 'I should have let it go to voice mail' I thought as I replied.

"Good evening Sophie Anne, what can I do for you?"

"You can tell me why I do not have a telepath in my court yet. I called you over a month ago and told you to woo the girl. I know for a fact that you have bonded to her because I have reports that you yourself said so at Fangtasia and in front of your underlings no less. So why is she not here?"

"She is not there because the girl is now mine." I explained very bluntly.

"Excuse me? I am your Queen."

"I know your rank." I growled before continuing, "Sookie is my bonded and my pledged. She will work for you when needed, but she lives here with me. SHE. IS. MINE."

"Fine, but I am not HAPPY, Sheriff. It would behoove you to keep me happy. You will, of course, pay a fine for this and any expenses that occur due to her travelling for me will be on you, due to the fact that she should already be here at court with her Queen."

"Whatever, I will look for the bill in the mail. Have a good evening." And with that I hung up. I know it was a Pam move to poke the bear, but where the hell do you think she got the habit from in the first place.

Sookie must have been half awake because she muttered,

"Eric, don't put Bill in the mailbox. You'll mess up the paint and scare the mail man…." There was more to the babble, but the nothing and she was fast asleep yet again and I let the pull of the dawn take me to my daytime rest with my world in my arms and happiness in my heart.

**Sophie Anne POV**

"I want her here with us." I sighed.

"She is happy with him. You know she is. You saw the video from Fangtasia. She loves him. She loves him like I love you." Hadley smiled as she touched my hand. It was near dawn and the only thing I was sure of is that something was wrong. Andre was acting strange and now he was making excuses for keeping his distance from me. He was entertaining Eric's maker Ocella. That vamp gave me the creeps. I worried for Hadley's safety so I brought up a sore subject again.

"I know there is no time for this conversation, but please tell me you are still thinking about letting me turn you." I whispered.

"I'm just not ready. I have to make sure Hunter is alright with Remy. I've already failed him so much as a mom. I have to be sure he will be okay." She paused before changing the subject, "What if you just call Eric and tell him everything that is going on with Andre and the other vampires. I think he would protect you and I know that Sookie would not let him hurt me."

"Maybe you are right. I can't keep you safe during the days anymore and the list of those I would trust with your safety is practically non-existent. I have called a Were, that owes Northman fealty, to watch over you tomorrow. His name is Alcide Herveaux, you met him once at a party; do you remember him?" I asked and she nodded yes as I continued, "I told him that I will clear his marker with Northman if he gets you safely to Shreveport tomorrow."

"What? I am not leaving you here alone! We have to call Eric and Sookie to tell them what you think could be going on. You have to tell them about Andre and Ocella… You have to…" she began to weep and that only served to increase my anger at Northman. If he would have brought Sookie here we would know what we are dealing with by now. I held Hadley and rocked her gently as I told her the instructions she was to give to my Sherriff and ex friend; that was of course my own doing. Pain in my ass that he was, I knew that he was honorable and that he would protect her. And if I was lucky he would save me as well. I showed her where the letter was, the one that I wrote two nights ago, that needed to go to Eric along with all the other documents. The rest of those documents were filed with my attorney for safe keeping.

"There, there little one, it will just be for a night or two and I will follow. I love you and I will see you soon. I have to try to save Andre. I truly feel that Ocella has him bewitched somehow and I hope you understand that I have to try and save him. He is my first child and has always been loyal to me. I have no doubts that he would attempt to save me. He would try." I tried to explain but the dawn was upon me I was able to tell her one last time that I loved her and with that I was dead for the day.

**Hadley POV**

I didn't sleep. I packed and I cried. I kissed Sophie for what I was sure was the last time and whispered I love you as I secured her resting chamber. I held some comfort in that Wybert and Sigbert would be there for her, but I couldn't stop sobbing. By the time Alcide arrived I was sure I looked a mess to him. He took my bag from me as he gently asked,

"Is she throwing you out?"

"No. She's trying to protect me." I choked out.

"She said to take you to Shreveport, but she didn't say exactly where. So maybe you can tell me where we're headed today?" he asked as he directed me to his large moving like truck. I didn't answer him at first instead I turned back to look at the palace one last time and felt the tears roll down my face yet again. I climbed in the truck and he started driving before I answered him.

"I need to get to my cousin's house. She is living in Shreveport now with her boyfriend, Eric Northman. Sophie said you know him." I answered softly.

"Yeah, I know the bastard. Who the hell is he dating?" he growled as he drove us out of the gates of the palace and onto the main street. I could smell the wonderful smells of New Orleans as I answered yet another of his questions.

"My cousin, Sookie Stackhouse…" I continued to say that she was his bonded and that caused Alcide to jerk the truck as he almost ran us off the road.

"SOOKIE STACKHOUSE is your cousin and she is bonded to Northman now?"

"Yes and I think they are in as much trouble as me and Sophie Anne are in now."

"Well of course Sookie is in trouble, its Tuesday." His voice was full of sarcasm and sorrow, but with that Alcide quit asking me questions and just brooded all the way to HWY 10 headed toward HWY 49.

**SPOV**

I awoke to the thought 'a nice quiet day…today will be a nice quiet day' I deserved one for goodness sake. I saw that I had a note from Eric. In the note he advised me that he had a day man named Bobby Burman who would be coming by today to introduce himself to me. Eric noted that he trusted Bobby and that he had worked as his day man for over a year. That caused me, for whatever reason to look at the calendar which made me realize how long I had been away from Bon Temps.

I realized that I desperately needed to get to Bon Temps at some point and see how the house repairs were going. That thought made me think of Alcide and the fact that I had not talked to him in two weeks now. I knew I should probably call him and I felt bad for not getting back out to the house on Hummingbird Lane, but it was just not going to be home until the additions were done to it to make it safe for Eric to rest there during the day. I decided that I would call Alcide after breakfast to see how he was doing on the house and what he was up to personally. I felt bad, considering I killed his girlfriend and all, but to be fair she tried to kill me first so it was self defense. Not to mention that I saved Eric from her too, but that was a different story and I was bound and determined to relax today. So I took a deep breath and cleared my head as I started for the kitchen and coffee….sweet sweet coffee!

After a wonderful breakfast (well, Cocoa Pebble and Pop Tarts _are_ my favorite kind of breakfast, but Eric would so not approve or agree, I thought, giggling to myself), I walked to the library with my cell phone in hand and picked a book from one of the shelves that held Eric's impressively extensive book collection. Once I was settled down into his big black leather chair I decided that I should call Alcide before I was too engrossed in the book, and took a sheet of paper and pen from his desk to call Alcide. I was prepared to be a good client and take down any notes he might have for me or any amounts of money that he might need to start the addition since I knew that would not be covered by the insurance money that was covering fire damage.

The phone rang once and Alcide answered in his gruff voice that I have always found sexy.

"Hey Alcide, it's Sookie!" I chirped.

"Don't you hey Alcide ME! The last time I talked to you I asked you to move in with me. Make a life with me and you said you would think about it, but what do I hear today? That you are BONDED to Eric Northman! Sookie, tell me this is not true, you can't be bonded to that vamp." He growled and sounded a lot less sexy to me. I had really and truly forgotten about that conversation. I had been so upset over being abandoned by Eric that I was on autopilot that day. I know that no one 'gets' me being with Eric, but they don't see how he is with me or how he loves me.

"Alcide Herveaux, number one; don't ever take that tone with me. You are the one who said I am tougher that a one-eared alley cat, and unless you wanna know why, you need to cool it!" he was silent to that so I continued, "Yes, I am with Eric. I love him and he loves me. We are bonded and pledged. I didn't mean to lead you on Alcide. I was on autopilot that day; I was in soooo much pain over losing Eric, the house burning down and still missing Gran so much…I am sorry Alcide. I understand if you don't wanna be my friend anymore, but please at least tell me you can forgive me." I went from mad to weepy in 10.5 seconds and Alcide seemed to realize it as he answered.

"Awww Sook, you know I can't stay mad at you. You may be his woman but you will always be my girl." I wasn't quite sure what that meant but it made me smile. Before I could ask about the house Alcide continued,

"Listen Sookie I'm on my way to you now. I need more specific instructions on how to get to Eric's than what I have… this girl is a wreck and she can't seem to remember how to get there…"

"What girl? Why are you on your way here?"

"Sookie, I'm bringing your cousin Hadley to you, or more directly to Eric. Hadley is Sophie's girl and she is afraid she is in danger."

"Hadley is alive? We all thought she was dead." About this time Belinda walked into the library where I was literally on the edge of my seat. I gave Alcide directions and told Belinda what was going on before I sat in disbelief over the entire event as I muttered 'yeah, nice quiet day...'

I told Belinda that Bobby…something…was Eric's day man and would be over this afternoon after filling her in on Alcide and the reappearance of Hadley. Belinda mentioned that she had never heard Eric mention having a day man, but that she did notice over the past year that Eric's dry cleaning was always hanging in the back hall when she would come into work. That was when Belinda brought up something that I had pondered but not brought up for fear of hurting Jason.

"Sookie, why do you think Laurell looked for you and not Jason or Hadley?"

"I'm not sure. I want to ask, but we've honestly not had a moment alone where I could. The other night she was here but so was Jason. Belinda he doesn't know. I haven't told him what she is to him."

"What? Sookie, you have to talk to her and to him. He needs to know."

"I know that but I think he is going to really have a problem with Gran and Fintan. He is just not going to like that part at all. Then add to it I have all this power, a family that searched for me and he is left out of that, well… it's going to hurt him."

"Sookie, it is going to hurt him more when he finds out on his own and you haven't been the one to tell him. Does he even know about your power?"

"Ummm he knows about the telepathy but not the new stuff." I said with a stab of guilt, but in my defense, Jason had just become a part of my life again so I was still leery of sharing too much with him. I explained this to Belinda and she said,

"Well if you want the relationship with him that you all have started to build then you have to tell him everything, but I would talk to Laurell first to see what she says. I have a feeling you are not the only one Fintan hid." She sighed and I just wanted to change the subject. But it was unnecessary since Belinda decided to go down to spend some time cuddling with Pam and take a nap. I was waiting on Alcide and Hadley when the guard house called up, but it was too soon to be them so I answered the buzzer in a formal manner.

"Northman residence, may I help you?"

"Yes this is Bobby Burman, I have an appointment with Sookie Northman."

"Oh yes, Bobby, come on up please," I rang him in and picked up the folder with the papers in it that Eric had left for him along with instructions for him to return tonight at 8pm or at 10pm at Fangtasia whichever fit his evening schedule better since it was a last minute decision on Eric's part to meet with him this evening. I answered the door and immediately began to read him.

'_Wow she is beautiful. So this is Eric's Sookie' h_e thought as he smiled gently at me.

"Hi Bobby. I am Sookie Stackhouse Northman. I am Eric's….well it is hard to explain but by vampire law I am his wife." I stammered out.

'_Lucky guy. Married? I thought they could only marry other vamps even by their law…weird..must have misunderstood… she looks familiar…"_ His thoughts were jumbled and fast but they were nice and he did not seem to mind that I was with Eric.

"Wow, married huh? Well that is just great! Congratulations." he said and his mind 'matched his mouth' which is unfortunately not that common, but it made me happy non-the-less.

I found two names going through his mind over and over Evelyn and Jonathan. Whenever he thought of those names he had a peacefulness that would come to his face. I told him about Eric needing to see him tonight to go over some business dealings in person so I asked him to have the paperwork finished by then and which of the times worked best for him.

"Can I make a phone call to see which time is best for us?" he asked

"Of course" he pulled his cell out and I stepped away to give him some privacy but I could hear one side of the conversation. "Evie, hey baby I need to meet with Mr. Northman tonight so I need to ask you a question. Which is better for you; if I am gone at 8 or 10?" … there was a long pause "Sure ask Jon what he thinks… yeah"… again a long pause… "oh man, you're right I did forget… don't tell him… I will handle it…alright I will let his wife know." He hung up and laughed as he shook his head.

"Is everything alright?" I asked.

"Well you are going to find this out anyway so I would rather be the one to tell you. I am in an unconventional family. I have a boyfriend and a girlfriend. We call it being a 'throuple' instead of couple." He laughed and looked a little uncomfortably at me so I smiled back as he continued, "Anyway I wanted you to know, but the problem is I am clear with Evie as long as I am home for supper at 6…she's making a roast, but I am supposed to watch the ballgame with Jonathan tonight at kickoff is at 8 and the game won't be off for some time." He paused to see how I was taking everything.

"You know Bobby I think I have a solution, come by Fangtasia at halftime and I will set you and Jonathan up to watch the rest of the game from the bar. You think that will work?"

"To be honest Sookie, Fangtasia gives me the creeps. All of those desperate people wanting the vamps just because of their blood or fangs. I kinda avoid Fangtasia like the plague. The Fangbangers creep the hell out of me. Eric knows that about me and I think one of his reasons for hiring me; because I am not one of them." He explained. Well that explained Belinda never seeing or hearing of him.

"Well you could come in the back and just go into Eric's office. I don't think you'll be back before halftime is over but I will try to get you home in time for the 4th quarter. What do you think about that?" I offered.

"That would be great Sookie and thanks for the offer, really, but I really am more comfortable avoiding the main floor. Thanks for understanding!" he smiled and took the paperwork I offered him and looked through it all.

Soon Bobby was on his way and I was all alone wondering when Alcide and Hadley would arrive. The day was almost gone and Eric would rise soon. I was pulled from my thoughts by the buzzer and a knowing that it was them. I opened the front door and waited. Hadley appeared and all the questions and hurt feelings just melted away as she practically fell into my arms. I walked to the den with my arms around her and sat down with her with Alcide following behind us. No words were spoken at first, but eventually my southern manners kicked in as I asked if she wanted anything to drink and she nodded as she also sniffled from her runny nose. I got up and made sweet tea just like Gran used to make and gave everyone a glass, still Hadley had said nothing. She made a little noise when I reached for her and it let me know she wanted back in my arms. I sat down and held her as she sipped her tea. After swallowing a few sips she started crying in my arms and I looked to Alcide for help which consisted of him just shrugging as if to say he didn't know what was wrong. He got up and went out on the pool deck with his cell phone and made what sounded like business calls. I watched the sun go down and felt Eric rise with its descent. Soon he was in the den and for the first time Hadley spoke. She looked to Eric with her big brown eyes full of tears and said,

"She said to tell you that I **am** the bill." And with that she collapsed in my arms yet again.

**A/N: Bad guys not who you thought? DUM DUM DUM! We have lots to cover and I am trying to get it typed. I only have 2 more chappys pre typed and ready to go into BETA so in a couple of weeks there may be a slight pause but I will give you plenty of notice and who knows…I may get caught up!**


	24. Chapter 24 To Keep You Safe

Chapter 24 – To Keep You Safe

_A/N: I love my BETA the bestest ever **SASSYVAMPMAMA** and my content editor the wonderful **KJWRIT**! Sorry this is a little later than normal but my Jeep broke down and it has been a pain to deal with that today. Now On with the show. Please **review** if you can, I sure love to get your feed back! _

_There is alot of back story but dont worry we will get back to some Eric and Sookie time very soon.. there is just so much to deal with right now! HUGS:)_

**LAST TIME: SPOV**

**Soon Bobby was on his way and I was all alone wondering when Alcide and Hadley would arrive. The day was almost gone and Eric would rise soon. I was pulled from my thoughts by the buzzer. It was them. I opened the front door and waited. Hadley appeared and all the questions and hurt feelings just melted away as she practically fell into my arms. I walked to the den with my arms around her and sat down with her. Alcide had followed us. No words were spoken at first. I asked if she wanted anything to drink and she nodded as she also sniffled from her runny nose. I got up and made Sweet tea just like Gran used to make and gave everyone a glass, still Hadley had said nothing. She made a little noise when I reached her and it let me know she wanted back in my arms. I sat down and held her as she sipped her tea. After a few sips she cried in my arms I looked to Alcide and he just shrugged as if to say he didn't know what was wrong. He got up and went out on the pool deck with his cell phone and made what sounded like business calls. I watched the sun go down and felt Eric rise. Soon he was in the den and for the first time Hadley spoke. She looked to Eric with her big brown eyes full of tears and said,**

"**She said to tell you that, I am the bill." And with that she collapsed in my arms yet again.**

**EPOV**

I knew something was wrong when I woke to the smell of Were in our home. Why the fuck would a wolf come in my house? I had a long standing hate/hate relationship with the pack in my area and while they respected me and did my bidding it was obvious to all involved that I did not like them and they did not like me. I especially did not like Herveaux due to his obvious infatuation with my Lover, but he was good at protecting Sookie. I did not like the relationship she developed with him in Jackson and was always angered by him claiming to have slept with her. By that time I had so much of her blood and she mine, that I knew by her reaction it was a lie. Sookie seemed angry about that on the ride home from Jackson to Bon Temps that evening long ago, but yet she had said nothing to Alcide at the time. Now it seemed like a mute point, but waking with the knowledge that he was in my house alone with Sookie angered me and made me want to mark her in front of him. Maybe Sookie was right; maybe I would have whipped it out to pee on her if I could. I smiled a slight smile as I started for the upstairs to see what made the Were brave enough to seek out my home and enter into it while I lay at rest.

I came into the den to see more than I had expected. Sookie was holding a human girl in her arms who I recognized as Sophie's pet, although I could not remember her name. She looked at me with almost hollow eyes and said,

"She said to tell you that, I am the bill," and with that she collapsed into Sookie's arms. Sookie had no idea what that meant, and it seemed neither did the girl, but I did. Sookie quickly explained that this girl was her cousin, Hadley.

'_Eric I am not sure what is going on and I can't seem to keep her calm enough to get her to talk to me. Her thoughts are all jumbled and I can't get a clear read on her mind. Maybe you can work your 'magic' and get her to talk to you.'_ She said to me through our connections and I nodded as I walked slowly towards Hadley and took her from Sookie.

"Hadley, do you know who I am?" I asked as I looked deep into her mind and glamoured the girl with little effort.

"Yes, you are Sheriff Northman." she said with little or no emotion. She seemed drained of life and empty shell. She smelled strongly of Sophie Anne. I knew then that she was more than just Sophie's pet; she was her lover at the very least.

"Why did Sophie Anne send you to me?" I stroked her hair and comforted her as she began to cry at the mention of her name. "There there little one, now tell me, why did she send you to me?"

"She sent me because she thought you would protect me and for me to ask for your help." She murmured as she cuddled against me. She seemed like a child that had never been loved enough and just longed for attention and affection. I allowed her to settle against me as she drew in a deep breath and continued, "Ocella, your maker, has bewitched Sophie's oldest and most beloved child, Andre. She wants to save him, but she's afraid she won't be strong enough to take on Ocella and his witch. Not to mention, she fears that Andre in his current state may be part of the attack as well." I stood with Hadley in my arms and then deposited her back in the chair we had been sitting in together. Andre had always been weaker than us, even though he was almost the same age. He was delicate in some ways, but he could be cruel and strong in order to protect his maker. I shuddered at the thought of him being in Ocella's clutches.

I walked to the wall were my father's broad sword hung and touched it as I thought over the different possibilities of what could be done. Ocella was in my state, and he had my Queen and her child in his clutches. Pain in my ass that she was she was still my Queen and I owed her my fealty. Andre may be strange, but he doesn't deserve whatever was being done to him. Many centuries ago they had been my friends before she became power hungry. In this moment I was not thinking of Sophie Anne as my wayward Queen, I was thinking of Sophie, my friend who liked to laugh and run through the woods at night. She had reminded me of Pam in that way and had filled that void for me when I was without Pam during those years. Power had changed her, but perhaps she thought she had to become cold and hard to be an efficient Queen. I had never thought to ask and instead I had become just as moody and broody as she did, and then I had simply walked away from our friendship. I realized I was processing information like Sookie, looking at the emotional side and not the practical, but before I could delve any deeper Sookie walked to me and said,

"I didn't know. I didn't know she had been your friend. People change sometimes Eric but that doesn't mean you stop caring for them." She lightly stroked the hand that still laid upon my father's sword. I knew she had been in my mind, and I wondered how long I had stood there pondering what to do about my insane maker and my ex-friend. It was obvious to me it was a trap; he was attempting to draw me out. I had all but decided I needed to go to New Orleans and confront Ocella, but before I could say a word Sookie whispered,

"No. I will not let you go alone. I am not Lydia and he can't touch me. You will NOT willingly walk into his trap. He knows how honorable you are so he picked Sophie for that reason. He probably allowed Hadley to escape so she could lure you there. And what if Sophie is in on it? You can't just go down there and have no plan." She wrapped her arms around my waist and enveloped me within the warmth of her body.

"I know that Lover. I know it is a trap but we have to figure out a way around it all. I must think on this." I said as I prepared to set my chess board yet again. Just then I saw the Were over Sookie's shoulder as I was still wrapped in her embrace. He just walked back in my damn house like he owned the place.

"You can leave now." I growled at him.

"Now darling, he drove Hadley here today so please be nice to him, for me baby." Sookie cooed and I noted the darling comment.

"Sophie Anne had Hadley give this to me to give to you. She said it would clear my marker with you." He looked so damn smug as he took a step closer to my pledged. He also looked over to check on Hadley who just sat motionless in the chair I had set her in. I wondered just how deeply she was connected to Sophie. I also wondered, if the Were was released from owing me, would he still be willing to help protect Sookie.

"And if it does, and I need you to protect Sookie what will you do if I call upon you?"

"Sookie is a friend of the pack. If she needs me, I will ALWAYS be there for her." He smiled when he said always and I did not like it. I wanted to growl at him but instead I pulled Sookie to me and whispered into her ear,

"This… is his fault." I kissed her deeply and it aroused both her and me. When I released her she looked at me and said,

"Why did you do that?" her little pout was there as she stomped her foot.

"Because I can't whip 'it' out and pee on you." I grinned, my smirk that I knew always won her over and she shook her head as she actually smiled.

**SPOV**

I knew that I should not encourage him, but damn it when he said that I thought I would burst out laughing. Alcide however did not look amused and he just stood there still, holding out his hand that held the envelope for Eric. Eric chose to ignore it, walked back to Hadley, kneeling in front her and looked at her very curiously but said nothing. I let that go and took the envelope from Alcide myself. I contemplated on whether or not I should open it, but I figured Eric would stop me if I shouldn't, so I opened it and lost my breath.

"Eric this is a check for 3.7 million dollars…."was about all I could get out. I realized there was a letter alongside the check, but I could say no more and simply handed Eric the letter and check as I sat down. I looked up at Alcide and said,

"How much money did your dad lose gambling?" I asked incredulously.

"3 million, give or take a couple hundred thousand." he said with humiliation in his voice.

"So why did she send 3.7?"

"Interest," is all Eric said.

"Eric, you gave Alcide's dad $3 million dollars to pay the loan sharks with just the promise that he would always have your back and do your bidding?" I could not believe that.

"Yes, that was the agreement until he paid me the money back of course."

"Why? Why would you agree to that?" It was so much money to give someone and I just could not get over it. A look of love filled Eric's eyes as he answered me.

"To keep you safe." He smiled and touched my stomach where I had been staked in Jackson as he continued, "I would do anything to keep you safe. Anything."

"You bought his debt to assure I'd have someone to watch over me in Jackson when I went to rescue Bill."I stated, and suddenly… LIGHT BULB! I thought I was done with light bulb moments days ago. He had wanted to keep me safe even then. 'I loved you since Jackson' suddenly meant more to me and I understood it in a way I had not yet comprehended before that moment.

"Yes, but they failed you. Had I not followed, you would have died in that damn Were bar." He growled at Alcide, and to my surprise Alcide cowed down a little and backed away from us.

"You loved me before that night at Russell's. I thought that was the night it all began." I said softly.

"I have thought about that many nights after you have gone to sleep and I've come to believe it really started the night you said you trusted me." He smiled gently and I immediately knew what fateful night he was talking about. It made me laugh a little to myself when I thought about how he fell in love with me while wearing pink and aqua spandex, pretending to be gay, all to go to an orgy to protect me.

"Leave it to you my Viking, to fall in love with me at an orgy." I laughed and so did he. This seemed to snap Hadley out of her misery.

"Sookie, you went to any orgy?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes, and she was magnificent." Eric laughed his throaty laugh and I blushed.

"Nothing happened at the orgy..." I started to say, but Eric raised his eyebrow in contradiction to my statement, "Well nothing much, you trying to have your way with me on the hood of your car doesn't count. Even if it was the best kiss I had ever had up until then." I smiled knowing I was stroking his ego.

"And only you, my Sookie, would say nothing happened when you took on a Maenad and lived to tell the tale." He laughed as he stroked my hair and smiled that smile that was just for me. I noticed that Hadley seemed to be coming back around so I asked,

"Hadley, do you feel like talking about it now?"

"I don't know, but I'll try. You know that I was strung out on drugs and I used the money Gran gave me to go out and party in New Orleans instead of rehab. I was so ashamed I just could not come home. I got lucky though; I meet a man named Remy Savoy and he helped me get cleaned up. I had a baby with him Sookie. We have a little boy named Hunter. He's perfect and sweet and I think he's like you. We had a good life for a while, but I got hooked on meth again and I ran. I went back to New Orleans and fell right back in the scene. Before long I ran out of money and was out on the street again. One night I was in a back alley and I knew I was dying. I had overdosed. I knew something was wrong; it felt different from any other high I had ever had. I started to get cold as my heart slowed and I figured I was a goner, but then she was there. This beautiful angel appeared and she took me in her arms. I asked her to please not let go. I told her that I had not been safe in so long and it felt so good to feel safe. I remember exactly what I said to her. I said, 'Please hold me just a few more minutes like this before you throw me away. Just a few more minutes to feel this….please...' I must have passed out because when I opened my eyes again I was in a palace. It wasn't an angel that saved me it was a vampire, Queen Sophie Anne. I know that many believe her to be cruel, power hungry and temperamental, but to me she has always been so kind, so lovely." She began to cry again as she clutched her heart and sobbed harder. Before I could say anything Eric moved to her side and I understood why he had studied her so closely earlier. He had figured something out about Hadley.

"You have to close the bond off. You are feeling her pain of losing of you and your own pain of being separated from her as well." It shocked me to know that she was bonded to the Queen.

"No. I had to leave her physically, but I won't leave her altogether. I can take the pain. Oh Mr. Northman, please help us. It's only a matter of time until they come for you as well. I heard them talking, you are who Ocella wants. Please help her, please read the letter and help my Sophie. PLEASE…." And with that my cousin dissolved into tears and convulsions.

**BPOV**

Talking with Sookie this afternoon made me realize so many things but there were two that were most important to me. One, how lucky I was to now have a family that wanted me. Two, that I now had the knowledge that while I was lost to them, my family had searched for me and had always wanted me. I thought about my childhood and teenage years as I cuddled up against Pam for comfort. My early childhood had been one with little love or attention due to my grandfather. My grandmother tried to protect me, but he was cruel to her as well. I had a few good years after my grandfather passed away when it was just me and my Nana but then she died when I was only 8 and I went into foster care.

It wasn't really that bad until I got older. The early years were bad only because I just moved from house to house. It wasn't until I became a teenager that the sexual and physical abuse started. There was a brief time right before it happened when I was in a group foster home with a bunch of kids, and that was the best time I had experienced since my Nana died. I was 14 when I got there and 15 ½ when I left. The adults in charge were nice and always made sure we had food and clean clothes. I always felt safe there, which was largely due to my foster brother Robert, or Robby, as we called him.

Robby was older and watched over all of us like we really were his little brothers and sisters. It was easy to see I was his favorite. My small stature always makes people think that I am younger than my age so that was what really started him being so overprotective of me. Then I confided in him about my grandfather and the beatings; that sealed the deal. He was my protector from then on and no one would hurt me if he was around, but at the house I didn't have to worry about things like that. Like I said, the adults there were on the ball and kept us safe and happy. I started thinking about the camping trip we took for my 15th birthday and I was remembering what a happy time that had been for me when Pam woke. I must have said something out loud without realizing it because Pam held me tighter as she asked,

"18 what Sweetheart?"

"I had 18 good months once. I had a brother, well not really but he claimed me as his sister. He was good to me. His name was Robby. I haven't thought about him or that time in so long." I smiled a bittersweet smile as she lovingly stroked my hair and asked,

"Well, tell me about this brother of yours." she smiled.

"Well, he was taller than me. He was sweet, quiet, but really funny. He had an awesome sense of humor. We went camping once and got chased by EL Chupacabra."

"There is no such animal; it is a myth."

"It is one of my few good childhood memories Pam. It was EL Chupacabra and Robby saved me from it. And then we roasted marshmallows and he gave me this…" I said as I held up the bracelet on my left wrist that I never took off and the heart dangled in the fire light that lit her room. The heart was engraved, family forever B & R.

"Alright, it was El Chupacabra. You realize, of course, that more likely it was a Brownie or a Water Sprite, right?" she said to me in a teasing manner. She was probably right, but it was my memory and in my mind I would never forget Robby chasing back the small animal- like creature and tell me to stay behind him. I should have been scared, but I wasn't because I was with him and in my mind nothing bad could happen to me as long as I was with Robby. She realized I was lost in thought and she asked,

"Tell me more of this Chupacabra…" and with that I told her every story I could remember of Robby.

"What happened to him?" she asked.

"He aged out of the system. He promised to get a job and come for me but they moved me and I never saw him again." I said with an uncontrollable shiver. Thinking of where they had moved me to.

"That is when you were placed with the people who abused you?"

"Yes." was all I could get out. I thought I had moved passed this but I began to cry as she held me and rocked me. After a long time she leaned back and smiled at me.

"I have something that I want to give to you, something that will show my commitment to you. I want to bond myself to you. I will never leave you Belinda, I am yours." With that she smiled and produced a tiny little bejeweled knife that was beautiful. It was different than the dagger she had given Sookie to use when she had pledged herself with Eric. It was much smaller and more decorative. I took a deep breath and whispered back,

"I am yours. I want this Pam. I want you! Tell me what to do." I whispered as I rubbed my face against her neck and kissed her behind her ear. I felt her shiver against me as she explained the bonding ceremony to me once again. She had told me about it before, but this time she told me in greater detail. I nodded that I understood and she moved us back into the center of the bed.

"It will be more pleasurable if we are making love." She grinned using that damn sexy smirk that Eric must have taught her since he smiled the same way at Sookie all the time. I smiled back at her and said,

"Oh really, it will be will it?" I grinned. "Well, why don't you show me what you think would be the most pleasurable thing we could do?" I smiled.

She immediately reached between my legs and began to stroke me. It was amazing how easily she could make me feel so good. She crawled down the bed and began to lick me right where I needed it most. She rubbed, kissed and licked me to completion before she crawled up my body and put the knife in my hand. I knew what I was supposed to do but the thought of cutting her with a knife made me cringe until she whispered,

"Please, take me in you, please…" and that was all it took. I cut her above her left nipple and took her breast in my mouth as I drank her down. She was moaning and enjoying the moment as she pulled one side of me up a little higher, bent her head down and bit into my neck. The wound on her breast was closing, but I continued to please her by teasing her nipple with my tongue. I could feel her floating around in my head and I felt strange a pull toward her; I could sense both her and her emotions inside of me. I leaned back to look in her eyes and I could feel her love for me. It was almost tangible as if I could touch it; like I was touching her. We continued to make love and my vampire had me panting again in no time. I pulled her back to me and kissed down her body to the spot in between her legs that I craved and somehow she tasted even sweeter. I had always loved the way her sweet pussy tasted, but tonight it was even better. She was writhing underneath me and I had to hold her down by her hips to keep her in place. I stopped only for a moment to look up at her and say,

"Mine, your mine." I chanted over and over.

"Yes… Yes… I am yours." She whispered with love in her eyes.

I went back down on her and continued to bring her to a hard orgasm. I licked her clean, like I said it tasted so damn good. I wanted more but could tell she needed something else even more. I climbed back up beside her and placed a finger inside her and began to stroke her as I said,

"I am yours Pam. I belong to you. What do you want me to do to your sweet pussy Pam? What do you want?" I offered.

"Don't stop what you are doing…add your thumb to my clit… please… oh Belinda I love you so much. You make me feel so good, so safe, so happy…"

"I love you too. I can feel you Pam. I can feel how much you love me. Can you feel me?"

"Yes, I feel how much… it's too much Belinda; it's all too much… I don't deserve this much love… don't deserve you…" she had tender tears going down her face. I began to shush her,

"Shush… Pam you are my world. I can't live without you. I don't want to hear you ever say you don't deserve love, because I love you and I need you…" I kept stroking her the entire time I spoke and she nodded to confirm she was hearing my words, but she was feeling so good she could not speak. I loved that I could render her speechless. I kept stroking her and added another finger as I went back down the bed and added my tongue into the equation. She was screaming my name and speaking some unknown language before lurching forward as she came and then she sat all the way up knocking me to my back. She was between my legs and brought me to the fastest and hardest orgasm I have ever had. I laid there motionless as she purred near my neck. I knew she wanted to drink so I smiled and whispered,

"It's alright…drink honey...drink" She smiled and moaned "oh sweetheart" as she bit into my neck and drank. When she finished she held me in her arms before looking at me and saying,

"Belinda, my bonded, my lover, my existence… I love you so much and I have bonded myself to you freely and I gave you my blood freely. I am yours forever and when you wish to be vampire all you have to do is tell me. I am yours to command. I love you." She looked at me with such love and I knew that I wanted her to know I felt the same way. I sent every bit of love I had for her to her as I spoke.

"Pam, my bonded, my lover, my…everything… I love you and I bonded to you of my own free will. I gave you my blood not only to sustain you but to draw you close to me. I am yours forever and I want to be with you forever. You say that I am yours to command but it is you who command me, with you love and kindness. And because of your love and kindness, I yield to you freely and tell you that I am yours with no fear or trepidation. I love you." My eyes had clouded over with tears of joy and so had hers as we just lay in each other's arms. I was bonded. I belonged. I would never be alone again. For the first time in a long time I felt at ease. I was finally home.

**EPOV**

I listened to Hadley's plea but something had changed. I felt something through the bond and I looked to Sookie who seemed pleasantly surprised about something. She grinned and said,

"I'll be right back. I know we have a lot to deal with, but I have to go to the cellar and get a bottle of the good stuff and we need to all clear outta here tonight." She then giggled which was strange due to the severity of the situation we faced with Hadley but when I searched the bond again I found there was something extra. No, someone extra; Belinda. Our little angel was now bonded to Pam. I laughed and nodded as I understood.

"Yes, go… I will read the letter and see what is required of us." I informed her. Sookie turned to Hadley and said,

"I will be right back. You will be safe with Eric and Alcide." Then she turned to us and added, "Eric, be nice to Alcide. Alcide, don't goad Eric. If either of you do anything I will be very put out." She smiled at Alcide but she gave me her trademark -"I love you"- smile as she practically bounced out of the room. I looked to Alcide and nodded in Hadley's direction as I said,

"Watch over her." And with that I walked to my library for privacy to read what Sophie Anne had written.

_My oldest and dearest friend,_

_Eric, I know that I have been a pain in your ass, as of late but I need you now. I am not writing this as your Queen but as your old friend, the one you used to confide in. I know that you owe me no favors, but I implore you to come to me and save me. I am in trouble. I thought that I could handle Ocella on my own but I realize now that I cannot. I now understand your hatred of him and your fear of him as well. I understand if you cannot or will not come to my aid but I implore you to please watch over my Hadley and let no harm befall her. She is fragile and so very delicate. If I do meet my final end in my attempt to save Andre, I have set aside several trust funds to watch over Hadley and her child, Hunter. Those documents are with Cataliades, I filed them two nights ago. If this is our final communication please know that other than Hadley and Andre, it will be you that I miss the most. I wish I had been a better friend and for that I am truly sorry. Goodbye. _

_I sign this with all my love, _

_Your Little Sophie_

I could tell by the way she wrote the letter that she did not expect me to come. This letter was about Hadley and securing her future. I remembered Sophie, the vampire she was when we were in Europe, before the power, before all the fights. She had never been my lover; sure we had fucked, but that was just being a vampire or maybe a man. She had, however, been my friend, a good friend. Outside of Laurell and her family I had no vampire friends. Hell, I had no friends, until Sookie. I remember the first time the little innocent creature had called me her friend. She was standing on the side of the road that cold night in January while she tried to convince me that she and I were friends and that I should get in the car with her. She had reached out, took my hand in hers and led me to her car; in that moment I believed her, that she was my friend. I smiled at the not so old memory as I wondered how I was going to get all of us out of this one. I would capture the witch, free Andre, save Sophie and kill Ocella all while keeping my wife safe. Now I had to set the trap and put my plan in motion. I smiled to myself as I thought '_I may be Sookie sweet love, but I am still cruel and calculating. I will kill anyone or anything that stands against me and mine. After all, I am still Eric 'fucking' Northman, Sheriff of Area 5'_ now I just had to remind everyone of that.

**A/N: OH my…. What a tangled web we weave when we practice 1****st**** to deceive… bad Sophie… you should have just told Eric you needed help! I hope you guys enjoyed our girls finally bonding. I am so happy for our Pammy! (shush...don't tell her I called her that.) hang in there guys we are about to have some fun in a couple of chapters.**


	25. Chapter 25 Realizations,Revelations & Co

Chapter 25 – Realizations, Revelations and Complications

A/N: I love my Content Editor** KJWRIT** and BETA my **SASSYVAMPMAMA**! I appreciate all you guys so much! **_Now this chapter gets really intense._** **Don't hate me** too bad you know that **I love a HEA **so keep that in mind and hang in there. There is a **small sweet ESN **but I know I owe you a good one and it is coming just be patient for me. HUGS

**LAST TIME: EPOV**

**And with that I walked to my library for privacy to read what Sophie Anne had written. **

_**My oldest and dearest friend,**_

_**Eric, I know that I have been a pain in your ass, as of late but I need you now. I am not writing this as your Queen but as your old friend, the one you used to confide in. I know that you owe me no favors, but I implore you to come to me and save me. I am in trouble. I thought that I could handle Ocella on my own but I realize now that I cannot. I now understand your hatred of him and your fear of him as well. I understand if you cannot or will not come to my aid but I implore you to please watch over my Hadley and let no harm befall her. She is fragile and so very delicate. If I do meet my final end in my attempt to save Andre, I have set aside several trust funds to watch over Hadley and her child, Hunter. Those documents are with Cataliades, I filed them two nights ago. If this is our final communication please know that other than Hadley and Andre, it will be you that I miss the most. I wish I had been a better friend and for that I am truly sorry. Goodbye. **_

_**I sign this with all my love, **_

_**Your Little Sophie**_

**I could tell by the way she wrote the letter that she did not expect me to come. This letter was about Hadley and securing her future. I remembered Sophie, the vampire she was when we were in Europe, before the power, before all the fights. She had never been my lover; sure we had fucked, but that was just being a vampire or maybe a man. She had, however, been my friend, a good friend. Outside of Laurell and her family I had no vampire friends. Hell, I had no friends, until Sookie. I remember the first time the little innocent creature had called me her friend. She was standing on the side of the road that cold night in January while she tried to convince me that she and I were friends and that I should get in the car with her. She had reached out, took my hand in hers and led me to her car; in that moment I believed her, that she was my friend. I smiled at the not so old memory as I wondered how I was going to get all of us out of this one. I would capture the witch, free Andre, save Sophie and kill Ocella all while keeping my wife safe. Now I had to set the trap and put my plan in motion. I smiled to myself as I thought '**_**I may be Sookie sweet love, but I am still cruel and calculating. I will kill anyone or anything that stands against me and mine. After all, I am still Eric 'fucking' Northman, Sheriff of Area 5'**_** now I just had to remind everyone of that.**

**SPOV**

I knew I had a LOT on my plate with Hadley and the whole Sophie-Anne thing. I knew that Eric was worried about Ocella, hell I was worried about Ocella, but the moment I felt Belinda join our weird little strangely wired bond I knew that I had to let them celebrate. They were downstairs making a HUGE commitment to each other with no idea what was going on with us and I was damn sure NOT going to let this night be ruined for them. No matter what family came first and while Hadley may share the same blood that runs through my veins Pam was more family to me than she was. Pam was certainly closer to my heart than Hadley and so was Belinda, our little angel. I could now feel how elated Belinda was. She was so full of joy and happiness. She was content and for Belinda that is all she ever wanted to be. For Belinda contentment was love, happiness and security all the things she never had growing up or at least never had for long.

I scurried around the 'wine' cellar (and yes I do that with quotations) due to the 'wine' cellar has about 13 bottles of wine and 150 different varieties of specialty bloods. Eric has them arranged by dates, types and styles that I have no idea how to figure out. I mainly stay away from the Fae blends due to I don't want to deal with him drunk. I spent enough time around drunks when I worked at Merlotte's. I laughed at the thought of Eric drunk but he assured me once that it was possible and then pointed out the two bottles that would do the trick the quickest. I looked for the two bottles and moved them out of my way. As I placed them near the door I finally decided on the bottle of Royalty Blend for Eric and Pam. I also found a nice bottle of Red for Belinda and myself.

I reached the kitchen in time to see the girls come out of the elevator. They were wrapped around each other, kissing and giggling. Pam's eyes lit up as she looked at me and said.

"Oh Sookie, we have wonderful news…." She paused and looked at Belinda, "Do you want to announce it or shall I?" She was so full of joy.

"Oh I think you should, but where is the old man? Is he up yet? We have to wait on him." She said as she looked for Eric. I loved that she called him "old man" and it always made me smile to hear. Eric walked into the kitchen as if on cue, but before the girls could speak he looked at me and said,

"The wolf said to tell you goodbye and your cousin is asleep on the couch." He then turned to Belinda and Pam as he said,

"Sookie had an _interesting _day." Eric commented more to Pam than Belinda.

"Of course she did, it's Tuesday." Pam snarked, "What trouble have you gotten into today Sookie?"

"Me? It was not me! Besides we can talk about all that later. I think you two said you have some news of some sort and we were waiting on Eric to get here for you to tell us." I redirected the conversation and Pam, too excited with her announcement, allowed me to do this. She turned to Belinda and smiled as she looked back to us and said,

"As of tonight, Belinda is my bonded." They giggled and cuddled against each other in complete contentment. We did not burst their bubble and say we already knew, but when I pulled the bottle of blood from the counter and the wine from the table Pam raised an eyebrow. To her credit, she said nothing and Belinda was too happy to notice anything other than Pam, but isn't that the way love is supposed to be?

After almost an hour Eric gave me a look that said he needed to talk to me. The question in our minds was whether or not we should share everything with Pam and Belinda or let them enjoy their night. I didn't have time to ponder the question very long because Belinda looked at me and said,

"What's wrong Sookie? You aren't here anymore." I knew exactly what she meant and she was right I was in New Orleans trying to figure out how to kill Eric's maker. I looked to Eric and sighed as he said,

"Ocella has taken New Orleans. He has basically taken old friends of mine, Andre and Sophie Anne prisoner in an attempt to lure me out to play."

"Who's Ocella and why don't you just kick his butt if he is hurting your friends? I mean, that is who you are, that is what you do! You're Eric freakin' Northman! Does he not know who you are?" Belinda said a little more than incensed that someone would go against Eric. Eric is her version of Superman and in her mind, there is no one stronger or braver. She has a tiny bit of hero worship when it comes to Eric, hell so do I for that matter. She was in a horrible state that night when the "Ocella" story had been told. She hadn't even been upstairs for all that. She'd heard it in passing the next day, but she had not been upstairs that night and she had forgotten the name and who he was to Eric.

"Ocella is my maker." was all Eric said and Belinda looked like she could have been knocked over by a feather.

"Oh, the one who hurt you and killed Lydia. I forgot his name. I'm sorry Eric. I shouldn't have said anything." She looked like she was wishing the world would open up and swallow her whole. Eric smiled gently at her as he pulled her into a hug and looked to me as he said,

"You know she has a point. This is my state. They are or they were, my friends and she is still the Queen I serve, for the most part. You are my women to protect and I AM Eric Northman, Sheriff or Area Five, so why don't I go down there and kick his ass?" He smiled that predatory smile he gets when he goes into that dark place inside of himself when he kills and I knew it would not be long until we were all in New Orleans in the fight for our very existence.

**LPOV**

I rose to Marcus kissing down my neck and I let out a throaty laugh as he continued to please and tease me. My husband and maker was the best wake-up call on earth as far as I was concerned. I was coming out of my orgasmic induced haze when I felt a rippling in my bond with Eric. My little Viking was scared, then angry and very quickly moved on to plotting; my little chess player was setting the board. I may not have been able to read his mind as Sookie could, but I could read his emotions as easily as knowing my own. I rolled to my side and began to dress while Marcus looked up at me and smiled as he noticed my sudden mood change. He knew that only one other man in the world could draw my attention away from him; it had to be our Viking causing my turmoil.

"What is going on my Beloved?" he asked me softly.

"He is scared, angry and plotting. I need to get over to the main house before he does something foolish or causes Sookie to react. You know how she is when she feels the family is threatened." I tried to justify leaving him undressed and in bed. I knew he still needed and wanted me but with two impulsive family members I just could not take the chance of waiting to speak to them.

"Yes I suppose you are correct. This is why I am glad we do not have any more children. I think I am too old for all this drama." He laughed his full laugh that made me smile.

"You are not old my maker. You are like a fine wine; you get better with age." I laughed as I kissed him on the cheek and scooted out of the room to look for my little Viking and my adorable great granddaughter.

I found them in the in the kitchen seated around the breakfast nook where Eric had just posed the question,

"You know she has a point. This is my state. They are or they were, my friends and she is still the Queen I serve, for the most part. You are my women to protect and I AM Eric Northman, Sheriff or Area Five, so why don't I go down there and kick his ass?" as he finished his question I posed my own.

"Whose asses are we kicking and why?" I asked somewhat teasingly until I heard his reply.

"Ocella," That was all he had to say to make my blood boil and I felt my fangs click into place from just the mention of his name. I would destroy him this time. This time he would not evade me or escape my wrath through some loop hole of old barbaric laws. This time he would die by my hand.

"Where?" It was all I needed to know; where I was going. Where was the snake so I can light the fire in the fields to draw him out into the open?

"New Orleans, he has taken Andre and probably Sophie Anne by now. She has requested my help, not as her Sheriff but as her friend." His pathetic excuse for a Queen had gotten herself into trouble and she expected him to save her. I knew that they used to be friends and Ocella would use that to his advantage. The only saving grace was that if he was using Sophie-Anne as bait it meant his Intel was old. He did not know about Sookie or he would have used her. Eric was sitting in between Sookie and Pam. He had cuddled Pam into him; his child, he feared for her. I loved Pam. She was a smart mouth, but she had always felt like my own grandchild. No one was going to touch my Viking, my grandchildren or anyone else in my family. This situation was my fault and I would be the one to fix it.

"I will handle this. None of you are to do anything. I should have staked him centuries ago." I could feel my blood boiling yet again. I wanted him dead and I wanted him dead now. I called to Marcus through the bond and he appeared as Eric began to speak again. Sookie I noticed was uncharacteristically quiet.

"NO! Laurell I will be the one to stake him. I will take his head and feel nothing but relief. You will stay here to protect Sookie, Belinda and Hadley." Before she could speak he continued, "And NO Pam you are not going either. You will stay here! I will be obeyed in this matter!" He bellowed and that just added fuel to the fire I was already feeling.

"YOU DARE raise your voice to me? I am your TRUE maker! It is MY blood that runs through your veins; it was MY blood that kept you alive, MY very will was what made you stay on this plain when you desired to meet the sun and SO YOU WILL OBEY MY decisions when it comes to YOUR safety and the safety of this family!" I barked as I felt his anger boil as he actually reared up at me.

"You are my mother and maker and as such I love you, but YOU WILL DO AS I SAY -AND YOU WILL STAND THE FUCK DOWN!" he barked.

I grabbed him by his throat and pushed at him through our strange little bond. As I did so I realized I was no better than Ocella by forcing him to do my will and not even listening to him. Even though he was on his knees in front of me I knew he could take me if he wanted, but my Viking loved me too much to attack me and I realized this as I loosened my grip on him. I felt Sookie move and lay a soft hand on my hand before retaking her seat once she saw I had released her beloved. Then I saw Marcus who had just been standing there the whole time, listening. I leaned down and kissed Eric on his forehead as I felt a red tear escape my eye.

"But you are my little Viking. It is for me to protect you. I failed you once; I can't fail you again. You are my child; my only little vampire and I can't let you do this alone." I pulled him to me and held him against me as Sookie looked at us and smiled. It was then that Marcus spoke to us all. Once again I was reminded how strong and wise my husband was and how lucky I was to have him as my maker.

"And he will not do it alone. What have I taught you Eric? What is the best way to overcome an opponent? One that wishes to draw you out… how do you turn it around on them?" and he smile that predatory smile that I love. It was going to be a long night for we were going to play chess.

**EPOV**

I hated fighting with Laurell it always left a bad taste in my mouth. I love her. She felt like my mother and I knew in my heart she was my true maker. Ocella may have brought me into this existence but it was Laurell who made it bearable. If not for her I would not be here. I would have left this earth when Lydia died eight centuries ago. I knew as she used our bond against me that she did it out of fear and that she would render me encapsulated if she could. She would find a way to keep my here while she attempted to kill Ocella. Then I felt her love and I sent love back to her. I let her know through our bond how much I loved her. Her comment of failing me made my heart ache but what Marcus said made me think and I remembered the story he told me when I was but an infant vampire.

"You set a trap… you use what they want as bait… make them think you are giving them what they want… you cut off their retreat…" It was then that I paused and remembered the story he told me over 8 centuries ago. "…the snake in Nile." I said with a wicked smile and Laurell smiled for the first time tonight as well.

"Very good, little one, you did listen to my bed time stories. Shall I share the story with the rest of the family?" Marcus asked me as he too smiled a very wicked smile.

"Yes, please." I responded.

"Very well, there was a large snakelike creature that we called Goth who would creep and slither into little thatch houses up and down the Nile killing animals and eventually it began to prey upon small children. This snake was the thing of legends and nightmares. Goth would take what he wanted and then slither back into the Nile. Once he was in the water we had NO chance of trapping or killing him. You see, that was his domain. When the Nile would go low during dry season he would leave the area but as soon as the rains came again, so would he. I was still a man then not yet a vampire and I lost a niece to the great beast. My sister was devastated." He paused for a brief moment as if to mourn. I saw Hadley walking into the kitchen out of the corner of my eye, but no one else moved for when Marcus told a story he could pull you into a trance like state. I pulled Hadley down into my lap and began stroking her hair to comfort her as Sookie smiled at me. I realized it was Sookie who had sent the suggestion to me to do just that and I shot her a look as I smiled at her. She had learned how to compel me through the bond; that was new. We would speak of that later. Marcus continued his story,

"I knew the only way to lure the great beast out would be with a live bait. I offered myself up. We poured oil between the water and the trap so Goth could not retreat to the water. I killed a small goat and smeared the blood all over me. We waited for night fall and when the creature appeared it had nowhere to run and no way to escape for the fire was lit. He had no choice but to come forward toward me and it was then that he smelled the blood I had covered myself in. Goth came right at me and when he was in striking distance I cut the rope that held the blades back above his head. He was able to knock me down, but was not able to strike because I was too quick. I watched as his head was taken from his body and fly through the air into the fire." He paused for a moment before looked at me and asked,

"So I ask you this question Northman, what do we need to do before we leave for New Orleans?" I knew he was priming me the same way I do Pam. Going over the battle plan, covering all the bases.

"We need to gather information. I have a man there. I will call him. We have to know his retreat and make sure it is cut off and then we need to lure him out. We need to set the trap. We offer him something that he cannot resist… ME. Then instead of him luring me out; I will lure him out." I smiled down at a now sleeping Hadley and then back to Marcus. "We will kill him this time. He doesn't walk away. He dies." And before Marcus could answer Sookie did.

"Eric if some vampire laws keeps you from killing him this time, don't worry I will do it." Her voice was deep and evil. My Sookie was in her dark place and wanted to protect what was hers and I was and would always be hers. I watched Laurell as she looked at Hadley. She had not noticed her before, not really. She was too wrapped up in what was going on with me to really notice her. She then looked to Sookie and Sookie smiled at Laurell and said,

"She's your great granddaughter too. Fintan had a daughter, my Aunt Linda and that is her daughter, Hadley, she's Sophie-Anne's bonded." Laurell gently took Hadley from my arms and cradled her like an infant. Hadley opened up her eyes and looked at Laurell and smiled.

"You're family… you smell like home… you're family…" was all she babbled out. It was odd. It was also a very rare Fae trait. Laurell seemed pleased that Hadley recognized her as family. Hadley was very tired, but she fought the sleep that threatened to overtake her and spoke again to Laurell.

"Who are you? You look like my momma." And with that the girl curled into Laurell's embrace as Laurell and Sookie began to explain the long family history. Hadley sat with wide eyes and took it all in before she finally spoke and said,

"Will you help me save my Sophie? Gammy please help me." And with that I knew we were all going to New Orleans. I just had to get Rasul on the phone as he had been my spy in Sophie Anne's court for years. He was loyal to me and owed me his fealty. I watched Laurell's eyes as she stroked Hadley's hair before answering her.

"Do you love this Sophie-Anne?"

"Yes."

"Is she good to you and she loves you in return?"

"Yes. She loves me. She is so good to me and so is Andre. I love them so much!"

"Then we will go." was her answer and just like that we were going to war. The only question was when and how we would attack. I wanted to be alone with Sookie; I needed her thoughts on all of this so I called to her through our bond the way she had called to me earlier. I compelled her to come to me and I told the others very bluntly,

"I will need to be at Fangtasia soon but before that I need some time alone with Sookie." Then I looked down at my bonded and asked, "Sookie what time am I meeting Bobby?"

"Ten" she answered as she rubbed her face on my chest. I was being punished and rewarded all at the same time for using the bond to call to her. She smirked at me as she wrapped her arms around my waist and hugged me tight.

"Alright, when we leave the compound we all stay together. Where one goes we all go. We are stronger as a family unit than on our own. Ocella will not be expecting more than Pam and I so if he sends anyone they will not be expecting all of us. Keep low profiles though, we don't want to draw attention to ourselves." I instructed before adding,

"Sookie and I will be back soon. I need to speak with her alone." That made Pam pipe up,

"Well, don't SPEAK to her too long we need to come up with a plan." She sneered at me.

"NO, you will spend the evening celebrating your bonding with Belinda. I will not have this night tarnished for either of you."

Belinda spoke up, "Eric thanks for the offer but we wanted to swing by Fangtasia anyway so I can clean out my locker. She won't let me waitress at the bar anymore." She said with a scowl before Pam chimed in with a very irritated,

"No bonded of mine is going to lower themselves to schlep drinks to fangbangers. I see how they look at her like a piece of meat and I am not having it…" Belinda cut her off.

"Well what am I supposed to do for money Pam? I didn't finish high school; I have no skills. This is all I know how to do. I lived off the tips alone…you can't make that kind of money in a human bar or restaurant! What will I do for money?" She pouted. Before Pam could say anymore Laurell spoke up.

"You have money little one, LOTS of money. You are a princess of the Brigant family. You have PLENTY of money. We will talk to your father about your trust funds and about you going back to school."

"What trust fund? What are you talking about Gammy?" Belinda asked quietly as she turned to her grandmother Lillianna as she walked in the room and explained Laurell's comment.

"Christean and I always hoped to find you. It gave us something to do to feel like we were taking care of you. We created a financial portfolio for you. Belinda you are worth millions." Lillianna advised her and with that Belinda promptly passed out. There was a flurry of movement and excitement over that, but I knew that she was fine so I shot a look to Marcus who simply nodded and I scooped up a worried Sookie and headed to our bedroom.

"Eric Northman you put me down this minute. We have to check on our little angel she could be hurt and I really shouldn't leave Hadley." she wiggled in my arms to no avail.

"Sookie, she has her bonded and her grandparents there to take care of her and Hadley will be fine as well. They will take care of our girls. I need to take care of you and I need you to take care of me." I said the last very gently.

"Baby, are you alright? I know you are worried but….talk to me Eric." she whispered softly.

"I need you Sookie, I need you." By this time we had reached the bedroom and I was undressing her quickly. Our time was short but I needed her. I did not know what exactly it was that I needed but I trusted our bond and gave myself over to it completely. I watched her eyes grow wide and then saw her little hand start to glow as she whispered,

"I will never let that happen. You are safe." I then realized my deepest fear and with that she wrapped her arms around me.

**SPOV**

It had been a hell of a night. Realizations, revelations and complications were all we had dealt with tonight. Once Eric pulled me down here I saw that he was worried, really worried. He whispered that he needed me to take care of him and that he needed me; he just needed me. He was confused and lost in the moment as plans and then contingency plans sped around in his mind, but he was blocking me again. Then he took an unnecessary breath and I felt the bond open wide and I saw, I finally saw what he feared.

He had never let me see Lydia's death or torture. Ocella had not only raped her in front of him but he had placed her in Eric's lap while he did it to her. Eric was bound to a chair in silver and Lydia was still in Eric's lap when Ocella ripped her apart. But it wasn't over, Ocella had then raped him too after Lydia was dead. He had stood over Eric and belittled him when he was 'finished' with him. Telling him what a failure he was as a maker and that he could always take anything he gained. He was preparing to kill Eric when Laurell and Marcus arrived.

Just like my greatest fear was that Eric would die and leave me the same was his greatest fear as well. In Eric's mind he was afraid that it would all happen again and that he would be powerless to stop it. He was seeing me, Pam, Belinda and even Hadley in Lydia's place. He feared Ocella would take one or all of us from him and he would be all alone again with no one to love. He was mostly afraid of losing me and having to spend eternity alone, as he knew Laurell would never allow him to meet the sun.

"I will never let that happen. You are safe. We are safe." I began to undress him as he had undressed me. I kept my light around us and he sighed that content sigh that lets me know he was starting to relax.

"Lay down baby. Just lay right there." I cooed as I pointed to the middle of our bed. I crawled in after him and took the length of him in my hands and gently stroked. This wound had more to do with his confidence as a maker for me than anything else. He wanted to be able to take out Ocella to prove to me he was a worthy maker and in my mind I knew this would once again come up when it was time to confront Ocella. I knew that no matter how much I wanted to kill Ocella it would have to be Eric to do the deed. I pushed all that from my mind and concentrated on wrapping my magic around us. I wove our love through the bond and into our souls.

"Eric, listen to me baby, our love is stronger than any power in the plain or any other. No one can separate us. We are one, one soul, one bond, one love; do you understand that?" I whispered softly as I continued to love him gently.

"Yes. We will prevail. I know that…I know that now…" he answered me in a lovely breathy voice that was so damn sexy. I kissed his closed eyes, his cheeks, his lips and with every kiss I whispered "I love you." I made my way down his body continuing the process to cover him in kisses and in love. He moaned as I took him in my mouth. His hand found their way to my hair and he pressed me up and down on his length. I loved it when he did that and he knew it. When he came to his completion with a soft cry he moved me to my back. He looked down at me with such love I did not know what to say so in a brief moment of wisdom, I said nothing.

"Sookie, I love you." He whispered to me as he began to kiss me in the same manner I had kissed him. My light had enveloped us and it seemed to be coming from Eric as much as it was coming from me. He kissed me everywhere and it felt so wonderful. He was being so gentle as if I were a fragile piece of glass that he had to protect. No one, not even Eric, had ever touched me like this. My heart was full of love and happiness as he slid his body into mine. I moaned at the sensation and pulled him to me as close as I could get to him. He held my face in his hands and kissed me as he whispered endearments of love and vows of forever. It seemed like we went on and on like that for hours, but when I was finally able to roll to my side I saw that only a half hour had passed. Eric wrapped his arms around me and whispered,

"My wife, I wish we could spend the evening in bed but we must rise and get to our business." He kissed my cheek as he continued, "Would you have me bath you?" he grinned against my shoulder and I rolled to face him as I said,

"Our business? What have you done?" he seemed surprised that I caught that.

"Yes Lover, I put Fangtasia in Yours, Mine, and Pam's name the other night." he confessed.

"When do you have time to do all these things that you sneak around and do?" I asked with teasing in my voice.

"I normally do my best planning after I have **had you** and you are fast asleep oh wife of mine." He laughed that full throaty laugh that always makes me feel comfortable and happy.

"Oh hell Northman, what am I going to do with you?" I asked shaking my head as I headed toward the shower.

Soon we were on our way to Fangtasia. Lillianna and Alexander had decided to stay out in the guest house for a quiet evening at home. Pam and Belinda were celebrating at home as well in the main house while Eric, Laurell, Marcus and I headed to Fangtasia to let Eric get caught up on his "Sheriff" work and to have his meeting with Bobby. Because even in the mist of all this "Ocella" drama Eric still had Area 5 that he was in charge of and people that looked to him for his leadership. I took over Pam's office and tried to get some work done. It was hard for me to concentrate on work as I went through invoices for Eric but he had no problem at setting to the tasks at hand. Damn that vampire ability to compartmentalize problems. We had been there for an hour or so when I received a very disturbing phone call.

"Hello. Sookie Northman."

"Sookie… Oh Sookie, thank God I found you!" It was Arlene and she was very upset.

"Arlene, what's wrong?"

"Well now, he is okay but Jason got shot tonight here in the parking lot at Merlotte's. It is just a little flesh wound, but he's asking for you and you just have to get here." She was crying and I thought that was strange, but I unfortunately let that go. Eric had felt my fear though the bond and he was now standing in Pam's office.

"I'll be right there Arlene. Tell Jason I am on my way." I slammed the phone down and advised Eric that I was going to pop to Merlotte's to check on Jason.

"Sookie, I do not want you to go alone. I have the meeting with Bobby so I can't go, but you must take Thalia with you." He mumbled something under his breath and I knew he was deciding if he should even let me go or not but I was resolute on seeing my brother. I mean the shooter was gone from what Arlene said everything was over. I just needed to get there and heal Jason and pop home, easy peesey.

"Why? Where's Gammy and Marcus?

"They had to take care of some business; I sent them on a reconnaissance mission for me." I knew that was about Ocella, but I let it go. We went out to the bar and advised Thalia what we needed and that I would be popping us there. She was not thrilled about the popping, but she finally nodded and said,

"As you wish, Mistress." She advised me. I kissed Eric goodbye and told him I would meet him at home. I then wrapped my arm around Thalia and popped us to the back of Merlotte's. It was eerily quiet and Thalia put a hand to my wrist and whispered,

"I smell magic…dark magic…" Just then I heard Jason cry out. I ran toward where I heard him with Thalia behind me telling me to stop. As I reached the inside of Merlotte's I saw Jason, Arlene and Sam all tied up. Arlene was yelling how sorry she was, that 'they' had her kids, Sam was unconscious and Jason yelled,

"It's a trap Sook…run…" that was the last thing I really heard as I felt something fall on me and I could not move. I saw a pair of Silver tipped black boots and Arlene's kids on floor. I sent a mental message to Thalia for her to save the children and I hit the panic button within my bond with Eric. I then felt something very hard hit the back of my head and then everything went dark.

**A/N: Now you know I hate bad 'cliffies' and they used to keep me up at night back when I was reading "Let Love In" so I will tell you up front our hero's will be HERO'S and you don't have to sweat it… there will be some sticky moments but all will be good… remember mama minion loves HEA! HUGS**


	26. Chapter 26 The Lion, The Witch and The V

Chapter 26 – The Lion, The Witch and The Vampire.

A/N: I own **nothing**… Not **Sookie or Eric**… not **Scooby Doo**… Hell I don't even own the **title of this chapter!** Ha! Thanks for all the sweet notes and constructive notes and ideas! The notes of encouragement are just beyond my** wildest dreams**! **I covet each and every one of them.** You all are so wonderful to me. Please keep leaving them for me as sometimes they are **all that keep me going on this journey.** HUGS

**I love my Beta team sassyvampmama and kjwrit! ***** OK see ya at the bottom... Hold on to your hat! HUGS:)**

**LAST TIME: SPOV (Sookie and Eric have had Hadley show up on their doorstep seeking help for Sophie-Anne. They also found out Ocella was in New Orleans. Pam and Belinda bonded. Laurell and Hadley met for the first time.)**

"**I'll be right there Arlene. Tell Jason I am on my way." I slammed the phone down and advised Eric that I was going to pop to Merlotte's to check on Jason. **

"**Sookie, I do not want you to go alone. I have the meeting with Bobbie so I can't go but you must take Thalia with you."**

"**Why? Where's Gammy and Marcus?**

"**They had to take care of some business for me. I sent them on a reconnaissance mission for me." I knew that was about Ocella but I let it go. We went out to the bar and advised Thalia what we needed and that I would be popping us there. She was not thrilled about that but she finally nodded and said,**

"**As you wish, Mistress." She advised me. I kissed Eric goodbye and told him I would meet him at home. I then wrapped my arm around Thalia and popped us to the back of Merlotte's. It was eerily quiet and Thalia put a hand to my wrist and whispered,**

"**I smell magic…dark magic…" Just then I heard Jason cry out. I ran toward where I heard him with Thalia behind me telling me to stop. As I reached the inside of Merlotte's I saw Jason, Arlene and Sam all tied up. Arlene was yelling how sorry she was that 'they' had her kids, Sam was unconscious and Jason yelled,**

"**It's a trap Sook…run…" that was the last thing I heard as I felt something fall on me and I could not move. I saw a pair of boots and Arlene's kids. I sent a mental message to Thalia for her to save the children. I felt something very hard hit the back of my head and then everything went dark.**

**EPOV**

I felt her panic and then nothing but a low hum. She was not dead but she was unconscious. I called out to Laurell but she was too far away. I called Lillianna as I started to the parking lot. She and Alexander popped to my location and he had my long sword and sheath in his hands. Alexander handed them to me and with very little discussion Lilli wrapped her arm around my waist and popped me to the location we could feel Sookie. We got there just in time to see Ocella and his witch whisk Sookie, Jason and Sam from the scene. The look Ocella gave me sent a chill through my bones. Sookie was unconscious, bound in iron and silver so no one could just pop in and pop out with her. I ran toward the spot where they evaporated from and screamed "NO!" as I fell to my knees. I had been a fool for letting her go without me. This was entirely my fault; I would lose her the same way I lost Lydia. My greatest fears were playing out before me like a nightmare. Lillianna was on the phone when I heard a low moan. It was Thalia; she had thrown herself across what looked like a child. Then I heard a woman whisper,

"They had my children. I had to call her. He made me. Please help my babies." I realized it was Sookie's friend Arlene and that there was not one child but two. I lifted Thalia up and pulled two shaking children from the pile of bodies. They were scared but unharmed.

"Master, I don't know what happened. I could not hear Sookie but as she went down I saw her look at the children. Then in my mind I heard her command me to protect them. I felt compelled to obey her. The same way a maker can compel, I felt her do the same to me. I am sorry that I could not save her. The witch was too powerful and there was a vampire that was somewhat older than I. He had several other vampires with him. They all smelled the same which makes me think that they were all his children. Either way, he had a small army with him." she explained as best she could to me, but I was not consolable I was tearing the bar apart. Lillianna was still on the phone when moments later Pam, Belinda and Hadley popped into the bar. It was Belinda who calmed me as she laid a soft hand on my back causing me to turn and look at her.

"Eric, we will get her back. She's fine. I can feel her in my head. Now get it together old man, we have to make a plan and that is your job." She whispered. I pulled myself together and quickly began formulating a plan.

I took my phone out and called Christean and Bill and told them to come to Merlotte's immediately. I then called Laurell and advised her and Marcus to stay at their location and be on the lookout for Sookie. I called Rasul, but the call went to voice mail. I could only hope he was still alive and I left him a message begging him to protect her at all cost if Ocella brought her back to the palace. I then called Niall, who immediately appeared. Once everyone was there I had Lillianna, Niall and Christean pop us two at a time to New Orleans where we quickly met up with Laurell and Marcus. Lilli said she could feel Sookie, as could I and I started walking toward the palace ready to storm the castle, when Marcus placed a arm on my should and told me,

"Eric, he is luring you out. You are still his end game. Yes he has your bonded, but she is not helpless. Your plan shouldn't change. You have to turn this around on him and you become the bait. You have to flush out the snake."

"I should call out to him?" I asked.

"Yes, call out to him like a newborn vampire would, a newborn that is in trouble that needs their maker to save them." Marcus said as he smiled evilly. "Once we make it inside the palace, call to him. Let him think you are in distress. He will come for you, especially if he thinks you are in a weakened state." I simply nodded in response as I turned my attention to Hadley.

"Hadley, what is the best way to get in the palace?"

"There is a secret entrance that I don't think anyone but Sophie and I know about. Sometimes when she feels trapped we dress in jeans and ball caps so we can sneak out and just walk around New Orleans as a couple, not as the Queen and her pet." she explained.

"Where is the entrance located?"

"The west end of the wall, there." She pointed and there was no guard at that area. It looked like a solid wall.

"Do you know how to open it?" I questioned.

"Yes there is a brick that you have to push, just like on Scooby Doo." She advised with a small smile. It was then that I realized how much Hadley and I had in common. Our women were inside and in trouble. I was going to tell her to open the door and then hang back but I knew that would not do so I said,

"Well then let's go get our girls." She smiled and nodded. "All of you hang back. Lilli will start popping you in when I give Laurell the signal.

"No, I am going with you. I won't get in your way but I have to go with you."

"If she goes I go." Marcus added with a push of power behind his voice.

"Fine, let's go." I said not having the time to fight with Laurell. As I turned to walk toward the wall Pam called out my name and although she did not move to come to me, she gave me a look I will never forget as it held everything that was between us.

"I will dance with you before dawn to celebrate your bonding and Sookie will be with us." I smiled at her and she nodded as Belinda held her hand in support.

I could feel that Sookie was now awake and afraid. Not terrified like I expected but leery. I sent her love and comfort through the bond and she sent to my mind, 'not the door… you can't come through the main door to the parlor.' Her mind was hard to get a read on. She was using a lot of power to do something that much I could feel, but I had no idea what she was doing. I advised the others what I was feeling and with that the four of us started walking toward the secret door and the fight for our loved ones.

**SPOV**

I awoke to a strange feeling and as my eyesight cleared I saw that I was in a cage of some sort and there were what looked like handcuffs on my wrists, but they burned, bad. 'Iron, they must be lined in iron,' I thought to myself. That would also explain what had fallen on me; it had to have been an iron net. Most likely it was a net like they use to trap vampires only instead of silver it was iron. I made an attempt to light my hands, but it wouldn't work. I realized quickly that I needed a new plan and I needed it now.

I looked around the room as was appalled seeing Jason and Sam chained to a wall. They had both been beaten and were out like a light. There was also a small teenage girl tied to a chair, she too was unconscious. I had no idea who she was, but I had to get her out of here too. She couldn't have been more than 14. I tried my hands again and felt my power charging but I paused as I heard a sinister voice say,

"That will not work little one." I knew without looking it was Ocella.

"You smell just like my son, yes just like MY Eric." By the way he said MY Eric I knew he was trying to provoke me but I would not go down easy and I would not play into his plan. I had to be smart. I had to hold on because I knew my family was near; I could feel them.

"So you are the vampire who made Eric? I have always wanted to meet you." I purred.

"Really, I would have thought Eric would have told you to stay away from me." He smiled a really creepy smile as he stalked toward me. "I have an offer for you Miss Stackhouse, one that I think you will like. You denounce my child when he shows up to rescue you and I will let your brother and your friend go."

"First off, it's Northman, Mrs. Northman and what about me? You'll let them go but will you let me go as well?"

"Yes, if you 'offer' yourself to me freely and do so in front of Eric." He smiled as I dipped into his twisted mind and I almost threw up in my mouth at the images alone. He had not responded to the fact that Eric was my pledged.

"And if I refuse?" I could feel my magic winding around me trying to break free. I just need a little more time.

"I will kill your brother, your friend, and then Eric right in front of you. Then I will kill anyone else that you love starting with those children you helped save tonight. I felt you compel that vampire to help them. The vampires that were with me felt it too, so did my witch. What are you Sookie? You intrigue me."

"Well, I am flattered that you would take an interest in a barmaid from Bon Temps but you must have me confused with someone else. I am just a plain ole human girl." I lied.

"I taste a lie, Mrs. Northman. I guess we will just have to wait on your pledged." So I guess he did catch that last part after all. "Whatever shall we do while we wait." he asked evilly as he yanked open the cage door and pulled me out.

Whatever the iron was doing to temper my magic, it clearly couldn't hold it all. Every time he reached for me after that it was like he could only get within inches of touching me, but then there was a wall he could not break though. It was like I had some sort of force field around me. What the hell? I was grateful that I had a way to protect myself even if I couldn't access my light just yet. He was furious.

"Well I will just torture your brother then and when Eric comes barreling in here to save you he will have a surprise!" he laughed cruelly as he went on to say,

"There is molten silver above that door. It won't kill him immediately, but it will incapacitate him long enough for me to subdue him and that stupid child of his. Then I can really have some fun with his girls."

I sent a mental note to Eric who I could feel coming closer and closer to me to not come through the main door of the parlor. I felt Eric's love and calm surround me through the bond and it fueled my power. I was using all my power to keep Ocella at bay. He was a twisted fuck. I thought back to when I decided it would be best if Eric killed him… well I was pretty damn sure now that I'd met him it would be my pleasure to off this bastard instead.

"If you touch my brother, Sam or that girl I will kill you." I snapped.

"Oh really you little bitch, how do you think you will do that?" he snarled at me.

"Well I have a plan." I smiled as I tried to buy some time. I didn't know how close Eric was to me. Was he seconds away or minutes? I could not get a good gage on the bond for all the power I was using creating the shield around me.

"What plan is this Sookie?" he asked in a sarcastic tone.

"Step one; I am going to get these chains off. Step two, I am going to light up your world like the 4th of July." That was pretty much the end of my plan and he merely laughed as he asked.

"It is a good plan Sookie, but how do you suppose you'll get those chains off?"

"You"

"Me?"

"Yes, you are going to take them off me." I purred.

"Why would I want to do that?" he asked me as I started to try to compel him the way I had compelled Thalia earlier. I did not know exactly how it worked but maybe, just maybe, I had a way out of this.

He started walking toward me and I held my hands out in front of me. He looked drunk almost. He was pushing hard against my mind trying to shake me off and right when I let my shield down to let my hand through it he pushed me out of his mind and grabbed me by my wrist. Well shit.

"Now, that did not work the way you planned, did it you whore?" And with that he back handed me to the floor, but I was able to get the shield up before the kick he tried to give me could connect with my stomach. Before he or I could say anything else I heard the girl speak.

"He will kill you for this, you know he will. Why don't you just meet the sun? That is what you want isn't it? To be done with this world." It was then that I knew she was Sophie-Anne. "Free my Andre and all these others, and I will give you safe passage until morning so you can leave this world on your own accord instead of at the end of the Vikings sword. You can no longer compel or control him. You have no power over him. You cannot win this." she said through a slurred speech.

"I have his bonded and his brother… I have power over him. I have her brother… I have power over her. I have your beloved Andre… I have power over you. So I would say that my position right now is pretty damn good." he smirked as Andre and a really old woman walked in together. I was stuck on the 'Eric's brother part, but I let it go to concentrate on the situation.

"How goes it?" He asked the old woman. I could taste her magic immediately knowing it was strong and dark. This was the witch. If I could somehow pull power from her like I could from my family we might have a shot at getting out of this with no casualties. I was trying to think like Eric, pulling strategies from his mind all while keeping my shield up around me. The old woman was studying me closely.

"All is going according to plan, my master." She pointed to me and said, "Power rolls through that one." Ocella nodded in agreement.

"Yes but she will break. Andre, bring me her brother." He ordered. He walked to me and told me his evil plan, but I saw it in his mind before he spoke. He was going to give me the choice. I could lower my shield and let him torture me or he would torture Jason in front of me until he died. There was no choice I could not let him hurt Jason.

"Lower your shield or I hurt your brother. Every time I have to ask you to lower your shield I will hurt your brother even more." Jason was coming to and heard what he said.

"Sook, you keep yourself safe. I can take it Sook. You stay safe." He meant what he said. I could see it in his mind. He was dead set on protecting me. I looked to see what was happening with Sam. He was still unconscious. If he could just wake up and shift, he could buy us the time we needed. I could feel Eric. I knew he was close and I had to get free before he came into this room. I would not let him find me at the mercy of his maker. That sight alone could distract him enough to get him killed. I pulled power from the witch and pushed power at Sam. The witch yelled,

"NOOOO …." I was distracting the witch and that made Andre look strange, almost like he was shaking off cobwebs from his face, and he ran to Sophie-Anne's side. Another vampire appeared from nowhere and began to help them. He helped Andre undo her bindings quickly and she pushed past them as she dove at Ocella. Sam shifted in to bird form and was free while Ocella grappled on the floor with Sophie-Anne. Andre and the other vamp were quick to Sophie-Anne's side, but other vampires seemed to come from nowhere to help Ocella. Sam had shifted back to human form and took the bonds off my wrist.

I continued to drain power from the witch. It tasted incredible the power of it was delicious. My family was close and somewhere in my mind I knew I should stop pulling the power from the witch, but I couldn't… or maybe wouldn't was the better term. The power was a rush, and I fed on it like a newborn vampire feast on blood. I fed and I fed and I fed. I knew the moment the witch died all the lovely power that flooded my body stopped. I felt full, I felt strong, I wanted more….I wanted blood. I knew exactly whose I wanted… Ocella's. But before I could start for him he ran from the room and I knew exactly where he was running. I called to Lillianna who popped in and popped Jason out. Sam shifted into a Lion and raced to help Sophie-Anne and Andre. I raced toward the pull I felt. It was Eric. Eric was pulling Ocella to him.

**EPOV**

We were close enough that I could clearly feel Sookie and I could hear a fight. The power that resonated from her was unreal. I called out to Ocella hoping to pull him from the fight and to me, away from Sookie. I called out to him, _'my maker…I need you…help me…save me…hold me one last time as I met my final death...' _I had planned this out but I was dreading the moment I would see him face to face. I told Hadley,

"You have to hide."

"No, I'm going to go back and get the others."

"Not needed. They will be popped in shortly, now do as I say little one. Sophie sent you to me for me to protect you from Ocella and he is on his way. Go NOW." I watched Hadley running back down the secret passage and hoped she would be safe. I felt my maker before I saw him. He looked at me like he was actually glad to see me until he saw Laurell and Marcus.

"What little one? No hug for your maker?" he laughed evilly. The fight that I had heard earlier seemed to be spilling into the room we were now in. Sookie came in behind Ocella, but before she could strike another vampire grabbed her from behind. Her fangs elongated and she sank her teeth into him and drained him dry. Ocella looked amazed, confused and pissed. He went for Sookie, but I grabbed him by his throat and in that moment he knew as did I; this would be to the death. Ocella's other children came to his aide but my family interceded and were able to engage most of them in battle. Marcus and Laurell were fighting the oldest four of his children, one of which I knew, my brother, Sven. His haunted eyes called to me and I knew that I had to save him this time, I had to save us all. I called mentally to Sookie and Laurell

'_Don't let anyone kill Sven, this isn't what he wants. Ocella has never released him.' _I could tell by the way my brother fought he did not want to be in this fight and that he wanted to help me. He was only protecting himself and not actually attacking my family. He was begging me with his eyes to help him and I nodded at him as I continued to fight Ocella when he made the following offer.

"Swords, we should settle this with swords." I knew that he was an excellent swords man. What I did not know already before he had turned me he then had taught me. Ocella not only wanted me for sex but to be a guard for him.

"Yes. That is how this should be." The rest of the fight continued on. Sookie was no longer engaged in the fight on her own she had joined Marcus and Laurell and she was glorious. I pulled my long sword from the sheath on my back and nodded at Ocella who did the same. Sven called to me,

"Remember the cross over brother…Remember." He was risking his very life to remind me of Ocella's killing move. I nodded and with that the real fight began.

This wasn't like the fight scenes you see in the movies where you fight at sword length, this was up close and personal. He was faster than me. He was my maker and thus older than me. He would always be stronger but I hoped that he would make a mistake. Laurell tried to come to my side, but it was Marcus who said,

"No this must be his kill." Marcus knew that I needed to revenge not only Lydia but myself. Ocella stole my family from me and gave me centuries of pain.

We grasped at each other as Ocella began to speak to me,

"I only wanted you to love me like you love that bitch who stole you from me. You bonded with another vampire before I released you…" he yelled. Marcus was unable to hold Laurell at bay any longer and she lunged toward him and ran him through with her sword. Had he been human it would have been a killing blow but since he was an ancient vampire it was merely a flesh wound that pissed him off. He back handed her away from us and she growled as she flew back toward us but Marcus once again pulled her back.

"She is my maker… not you… you are nothing but my tormentor…" I barked as I came down hard on his left side. I cut him deep. Sookie had dispatched the vampire that was attacking her as Pam and Bill flanked her right and left side. I don't know how or when Pam and Bill came in but suddenly I could feel my child; I could only guess that they came after Hadley went out. They swung about and had come to Laurell's side. Something about Sookie's eyes briefly caught my attention, something about her eyes was cold and distant, but I couldn't think about her right now I had to concentrate on Ocella. He had the upper hand for now.

His vampires continued to come out of the walls and attack Laurell, Marcus and Sookie. Sophie-Anne, Andre and a great lion that I thought was Sam came in about the same time Lillianna, Alexander, and Niall popped into the room. My family was safe, I knew they could defeat the vampires and Sven was doing all in his power to help us indirectly. He would direct the fight into tight groupings so my family had an easier time fighting.

Ocella drove me to the floor with a blow that was hard and fast while I had been momentarily distracted at the sight of everyone. It reminded me of the blow he dealt me on the road that faithful night when he turned me. I felt a sudden burst of power and energy and sprang to my feet turning in one motion as I spun taking my maker's head with my blade and just as I predicted all I felt was relief. I had used his own move on him to kill him; somehow that was almost poetic. My brother was free, I was free and Sookie was safe.

I turned to see Sookie with her little hands aglow. She had them aimed toward me and she was chanting some unknown magic. She opened her eyes seeing that Ocella was dead; she smiled and dropped to her knees. Bill and Pam were still beside Sookie fighting off the onslaught of vampires. I flew to her side to protect her, as did Sven, and we cross-flanked her as the others continued to attack. Some of the others had stopped fighting and were on their knees with their heads bowed. In a loud voice Sven announced,

"His reign over you is finished. Ocella is dead. Pledge your fealty to my brother, The Northman and live or refuse and die by his sword!" Every vampire that was not in my family fell to their knees and swore their fealty to me. I only nodded in response as I picked up my world from the floor. She was awake but weak, very weak. She had given me her power so that I could defeat my maker.

**SPOV**

I could not use my main power, with it being fire, knowing it would only take one mistake and I could hit one of my vampires. But I was blood thirsty and I wanted death. I wanted their death. I looked in the vampires eyes and read his mind as I drained him he was thinking '_she is such a tiny thing how has she killed me?'_ I saw Eric go down. I felt fear rip through me, but I shielded him from it. Instead of getting lost in my own fear as I would have in the past I pulled all the power I had inside me into a tight ball and I released it through the bond into Eric. I saw my Viking rise and he was glorious. He came off the floor and decapitated Ocella in one move. I wanted him so damn bad I swear I could feel myself get wet. _'What the hell is wrong with me?'_ I thought.

I was weak but I didn't pass out. I just had to rest so I went down on my knees. Pam and Bill were beside me taking on the vampire that replaced the one I had just killed. One moment Eric was across the room and the next he was beside me. One hand held his sword ready to kill anything that came near me and the other was gently stroking my hair. He was such a paradox but it made me smile. The vampire he had identified as his brother made his way to me as well. He looked like Eric but so did all the other vamps, Ocella definitely 'had' a type and the type was very tall, broad shoulders, and long blonde hair. I was almost certain that Sven was not Eric's biological brother but that he was turned near or around Eric's time. I was trying to get a read on Eric and get into his mind to see if I was right, but I was just too damn tired. That was when Sven spoke,

"His reign over you is finished. Ocella is dead. Pledge your fealty to my brother, The Northman and live or refuse and die by his sword!" Every vampire that was not in our family fell to their knees swearing their fealty to Eric. He nodded in acknowledgement but then he lifted me into his arms.

"Sookie, my wife, are you harmed?" his tone was the tone that is reserved only for me. He then gave me the smile that was just mine as well.

"No, he couldn't touch me. I need to feed. I need your blood, husband." I could not wait any longer I sank my teeth into his neck and drank. He held perfectly still for me. I only need a few sips before I felt strong again. He was speaking to me through the bond telling me how much he loved me as Hadley came running into the room with Belinda in tow. As Hadley ran toward Sophie-Anne and Andre, it was Belinda and Pam who ran to Eric and me. We stood their clinging to each other as Laurell walked to Eric and took his face in her hands.

"I am so proud of you my littlest vampire." She smile and paused as she turned to me, "and you my sweet great-granddaughter how proud you make me. What a perfect mate you are for my little Viking." She embraced us before walking into the open arms of Marcus. Hadley was babbling on and on with Sophie-Anne and Andre. They were both hold her and stroking her hair. I realized about that time that two very big vampires were by her side as well.

"I was so afraid I had lost you all. I love you all so much. You're my family I love you… I love you…" It was in that moment I saw how Hadley's life was somewhat a mirror image of mine. She had an Eric, a Pam and a vampire family that loved her.

I was still in the arms of Eric, Belinda and Pam when Pam began to speak,

"I thought we'd lost you. I love you so much. Don't ever leave us…" her voice broke, but she didn't cry. Of course she didn't; my Pam did not cry in public, only in the privacy of our home. Belinda informed me that she had popped Jason to a man's house named Calvin. It's where Jason told her to take him when she had insisted on taking him to a hospital. I knew Jason was safe, but I still wanted to find Sam. That was when I heard a purring noise and felt fur at my leg. Eric raised an eyebrow, but allowed Sam access to me. Pam looked at me with her now wicked smile as she recovered from her moment of emotion as snidely said,

"Sookie, you have a little something right there…" She pointed to the corner of my mouth so I turned to the mirror in the room to see what she was saying and saw my mouth was covered in blood. So was my blouse, jeans, socks…you get the picture. Then I turned to look at my family and made a wonderful realization.

"We're alive. We all made it." I said with some shock in my voice. I looked up into Eric's eyes and kissed him with every ounce of love I had in me. My magic rolled through me and it rolled throughout the room. Everyone there could taste my power and looked at me like they loved me. It was Sven, who spoke,

"What is she brother?" he said so quietly. To which Eric answered.

"She is my world." It was exactly what I needed to hear.

**A/N: Wowsa…I know, I know… crazy chappy with loads of info but aren't you proud of our girl and boy! They basically fought their own battle and didn't depend on anyone to save them… they saved themselves! What a novel concept! Ha-ha! HUGS**


	27. Chapter 27  The Hotel Northman is Open

Chapter 27 – The Northman Hotel is Open

A/N: I love my Beta's oh yes I do~~~ I love my beta's how about you? You need to read some sassyvampmama and kjwrit. With that being said, **I am sending all my love to my Sassyvampmama whose real life mommy is sick! ALL our prayers and good thoughts are with you! HUGS**

**LAST TIME: (Sookie was kidnapped and there was a great battle for her freedom in which Ocella was killed by Eric.)**

**SPOV**

"**I thought we'd lost you. I love you so much. Don't ever leave us…" her voice broke, but she didn't cry. Of course she didn't; my Pam did not cry in public, only in the privacy of our home. Belinda informed me that she had popped Jason to a man's house named Calvin. It's where Jason told her to take him when she had insisted on taking him to a hospital. I knew Jason was safe, but I still wanted to find Sam. That was when I heard a purring noise and felt fur at my leg. Eric raised an eyebrow, but allowed Sam access to me. Pam looked at me with her now wicked smile as she recovered from her moment of emotion as snidely said,**

"**Sookie, you have a little something right there…" She pointed to the corner of my mouth so I turned to the mirror in the room to see what she was saying and saw my mouth was covered in blood. So was my blouse, jeans, socks…you get the picture. Then I turned to look at my family and made a wonderful realization.**

"**We're alive. We all made it." I said with some shock in my voice. I looked up into Eric's eyes and kissed him with every ounce of love I had in me. My magic rolled through me and it rolled throughout the room. Everyone there could taste my power and looked at me like they loved me. It was Sven, who spoke,**

"**What is she brother?" he said so quietly. To which Eric answered.**

"**She is my world." It was exactly what I needed to hear. **

**EPOV**

I watched as a haggard Sophie-Anne walk toward me with her head down. In this moment she was not my Queen, she was 'my little Sophie' and I felt a genuine smile come across my face seeing her in that light for the first time in many, many years. I momentarily sat Sookie down and as she turned to hold Belinda and Pam, I embraced Sophie-Anne who whispered to me.

"I tire of this life. I want to take my children and go home. I want to go back to that little villa in the south of France. You remember the one?" she asked me quietly as all of her children gathered around her.

"Yes, but who will rule?" I asked wondering who she would put in charge.

"You will. I know you don't want it, but please Eric. I almost lost what I hold dearest due to my inability to rein in my desire for power. It corrupted me and made me someone I am not."

"I don't think you would make the same mistake again." I reasoned.

"No, I want to go home. Eric, please help me go home." she whispered as she looked up at me with those beautiful green eyes that reminded me of my Aude. I was a cold stone killer, but I was a sucker for puppy eyes.

"Alright, I will do as you ask." And just like that I was King of Louisiana.

Rasul then made his way to me through the sea of confused vampires, most of which were my brothers and sisters through Ocella's insane decision to create his own personal army. By the gods he was sick.

"Eric, my King, I would be honored to stay here and help you." I nodded as an extremely young vampire made her way to Sven. She had been hidden under a very large desk and I watched him smile and hug her before saying,

"Ask him, he is fair. He will help. He has always helped me." She looked at me with uncertain eyes. I remembered that look for it was the same one I gave Laurell the first time she held me in her arms. So certain I had been then that I would be harmed, that was what this young one was thinking, she was waiting for me to hurt her and it made me care for her immediately.

"King Northman, I'm Olivia, well Livy, I would like to go home, please?"

"How old are you little one?" I asked as Sookie made her way back to us with Belinda and Pam in tow.

"I am 17."She said to my dismay, but then again, why should it shock me? My maker would do anything so of course he turned an underage girl.

"How long have you been vampire?"

"Ummm 2 months…or about that…" It made no sense to me why he had turned her. He preferred men so I was confused until Sven said,

"He turned her as punishment for me. Her fate is my fault."

"No it's not. Just like your fate is not mine. He was insane." I paused and then readdressed the girl. "Livy, how do your parents feel about vampires?" I had to know before I allowed her to make contact. They probably thought she was missing or dead.

"They aren't big fans of the fangs, but it's still me. They love me and they'll let me come home." She cried. Sookie was quick to her side as was Sven.

"Let's go call them sweetie." Sookie cooed. She looked to me with her sweet eyes and sent me the mental note,_ 'We need to settle all the loose ends and get home. I need you.' _Sookie walked over to Sophie Anne and Hadley introduced them as Sookie asked where her office was located. While she was gone Sophie and I hammered out the temporary arrangement for me to take over the state.

Sookie returned with a crying Livy who Sven was carrying in his arms while trying to soothe her. It was obvious her parents had denied her entry to come home. Belinda walked over and asked if she had fed lately and if she wanted her to find her a True Blood to which Livy nodded. I looked at Sookie who was giving me 'the look' and I shook my head NO. She shook her head YES and I tried to reason with her,

'_Sookie we are not running a home for wayward girls and vampires. We cannot just keep taking people in to our home.'_ To which she replied,

'_Do you regret taking in Belinda?'_ I quickly let her know,

'_That is not fair Sookie. You know I love our little angel.'_ I saw this was not a battle I was going to win so I just said,

"Oh hell, fine the Northman Hotel is open!" Sookie smiled but everyone else was confused until I voiced the offer officially to Livy.

"Livy, as your King and Queen, Sookie and I offer you a place to stay at our home as you get settled into your new existence. Sven, brother, you are welcome as well." I had to get another male in the house just to even out the testosterone level. Livy looked relieved and to be honest so did Sven.

We introduced our newest addition to the Northman/Stackhouse residence to the rest of the family. Laurell got that 'mommy' look in her eyes when she heard Livy's story and wrapped her arm around the girl. Looking at Sven she said,

"How have you been?" she looked forlorn. She had wanted to save him too but was unable to do so. Ocella was willing to lose one of us but not both those many centuries ago.

"I am well, my Lady. You are still just as lovely as I remember." He knelt in front of her and instead of accepting that she pulled him to his feet and embraced him. He spoke to Marcus and bowed in front of him. I could easily see Sven either staying with us or going back home with Marcus and Laurell when they left but I did not want to think of that inevitable time because I loved having them here with me.

"Are you unharmed? You are sure you are alright?" Laurell asked him with a tender voice.

"Yes, I am now. I am free and my brother has offered me safe passage, not to mention a place to stay." He smiled as he spoke.

"A home Sven, we offer you a home and you too Livy. We aren't taking you in to one day throw you out or harm you. We will take care of you." Sookie smiled at them both and I felt a little burst of energy from her. She was getting her energy back but she was still very tired. _'Eric we need to wrap this up. Can we take everyone to the house so you can do your paperwork and I can lie down in our bed?' _She sent to me mentally to which I replied.

"Let me sort through Ocella's children and see who needs help." I paused and called Pam to me as I went into Sheriff…no King mode.

"Yes Master?" she knelt on one knee. She was magnificent. My sweet child had been so loyal and brave during the battle, fighting like the warrior I taught her to be. She killed everything in her path, working her way through the room until she was back to back with Compton while making sure Sookie was protected. This thought made me smile as I pulled her up by her hand which she returned with her sweet smile that only I, Belinda and Sookie are privileged enough to see. I put my plan on hold for a moment to keep a promise to my child and pulled her to her feet spinning her around and dipping her in dramatic fashion whispering,

"I promised you a dance did I not?" She smiled and hugged me in an open display of affection before she pulled back and shot me a look as she straightened her clothes. I then told her what I wanted her to do before returning home.

"I want you and Belinda to sort through all of the new vampires to see who is in need of refuge and who has places of their own. Those who need a place to stay will stay here in the palace for the night, so you will need to coordinate with Rasul as to where to put them. Then I want you to have Belinda pop you home so you two can celebrate. You have the next week off to do as you wish!" I turned to Laurell and continued,

"Marcus, Laurell, I want you to take Sookie, Sven and Livy home, please. Help Sookie get Sven and Livy settled in one of the guest houses out back." Then I turned my attention to Sookie.

"My wife, I will take care of getting Sam home with the help of Lillianna and Alexander. We will be sure he is alright and I will have Ludwig meet us at his home. I want you to go home and go to bed. I will be there shortly." I paused for dramatic effect, "and Sookie, please don't adopt anymore vampires or children on the way home. We only have one more cabin and then we will have to start moving them into our house and they would never sleep with all of the noise…you snore, loudly." I gave her the smirk/eyebrow raise combo and she giggled. It was in that moment I actually felt myself relax. She was alright. She was alive. I could have lost her. I shook the emotion from me knowing that I had to deal with the state, the vampires and new politics of my position. I would deal with the emotions when I was finally able to be alone with my Lover in an hour or two.

"I may snore my husband, but I do other loud things in that bed as well that you don't seem to mind." was her retort as she tossed her long locks over her shoulder and borrowed a cell phone so she could talk to Jason. I smiled at her response knowing only a month ago my comment would have started a fight and she would have never teased me like that in public. I listened to her talk to her brother.

"Jason, I'm going to send some people to you who can help you and heal you. They are your family Jason so you have to just trust me and listen to them, alright?" there was a long pause as she spoke. "I would come if I could Jason, but I used too much power and I have to rest. I love you and I will come see you in the morning, I promise."

**SPOV**

I talked to Jason and wished I could go there myself, but I knew that Laurell could heal him as well as I could. I also knew if she went she would need to tell him the truth. I asked a huge favor of my Gammy.

"Gammy, once you get me home I would like for you and Niall to go to Jason, heal him and tell him everything. Would you do that for me, please Gammy?" I added the extra Gammy with dramatic effect and puppy dog eyes directed at my embittered great-grandparents. Niall and Laurell looked at each other for a long moment before Niall spoke,

"He favors our Dermot." He spoke softly and I knew he was speaking of Jason.

"Yes he does. Do you think he will ever return to us?" Laurell asked with an uncertain voice. I had never heard her sound like that before this moment. She was on the verge of tears thinking of her lost son.

"I don't know. He is very angry with us both, for different reasons. We should do as she asks. We should do this for Fintan and for Dermot. He is our kin, just as much as Sookie." He said very gently and Laurell looked surprised. She turned to Marcus and he simply smiled and nodded but then added,

"I will allow her to accompany you to tend to your great-grandchild but if you get out of line, she will drain you dry faery." He growled out the last part and it was the first time I had ever felt anything but peace and safety in Marcus' presence.

I was ready to go home so we gathered Livy and Sven with us to head to the house but before I popped away with my family and the others I walked to Pam and Belinda and hugged them as I said,

"I love you. I will see you at home tonight. I promise we will celebrate your bonding soon! I am so happy for you both." I then turned to where Hadley was curled up in Sophie-Anne's and Andre's laps. The two large guards stepped in front of her but Sophie quickly shooed them away.

"Hadley, I don't know when I will see you again but I want you to know you are always welcome in my home and I love you. Do me a favor and call me when you get settled."

"I will; and Sookie will you look in on Hunter for me from time to time? I mean I'm leaving him lots of money, but he needs family and I don't think Remy will let him visit me much after I'm turned. I just want him to know that I love him. I mean, I know that I messed up everything but he was the best thing I ever did and I do love him." She sniffed as she spoke and I knew that she had decided to let Sophie turn her soon. Laurell and Niall were making their way to her as I said,

"I will. I promise." I then turned to the most important person in the room, MY beloved.

"Please hurry home. I will be in our bedroom." I placed a chaste kiss his lips, but he pulled me closer for a more demanding kiss that I wouldn't have given him in public a month ago. Though tonight, I needed to taste him and I wrapped myself around him as I felt my magic returning. It was as if his love for me fueled my magic and my power. I would have to think on that later and perhaps talk to Laurell and Niall about that once we were home.

"I will be home soon. I have to call the magister and let him know of the power change and then there will be paperwork to do and an informal coronation. We will have to do a formal one later and as my pledged you will be named Queen." He said with a wince. Old Sookie would have balked; I just shrugged my shoulders and said,

"Well, I _am_ already a Princess, so why not a Queen? I love you. I am going to bed now." One quick kiss later and my entourage popped home.

I quickly went into hostess mode and settled Sven and Livy in the next to the last guest house. Livy didn't want to be without Sven. Apparently he had been more of a maker to her than Ocella and she was afraid to be without him so she didn't even blink when I suggested they stay together. Her tiny hand curled around his large one as she rested her head on his upper arm. She was petite and reminded me of Belinda in some ways. They both looked lost so I broke my own rule again and dipped into their minds.

Livy was wondering when Eric or I would hurt her and how bad it would be. Sven was thinking about how he had failed Livy and if he had just not taken up for her that night at the bar his maker would have never noticed her. Apparently, while in New Orleans Ocella and Sven had gone out with Sophie-Anne and Andre to a vampire bar. Livy was there on a fake ID and the bouncer was getting rough with her. Sven was a man of honor when he was alive and tried to be so as a vampire as well. He went to her aide but that enraged Ocella, who unleashed one of his crazy jealousy filled rages and the girl's fate was sealed.

I slowly walked over to them and took their hands in mine. I knew that this was potentially dangerous for me since I had utilized so much of my power earlier but I had to heal them, I just had to.

"I have a power, a healing power that won't hurt you, I promise. This will help you if you allow it to, but I am very tired at the moment and if you fight against it I won't be able to help you." Neither of them answered me and just stood there wide eyed as my power began to roll throughout the room. I knew my scent would begin to intoxicate them as well but I would cross that bridge when I came to it.

I let the light leave my body and roll through them. Livy started to smile and cry at the same time and I heard Sven murmur "incredible…" When I finished I backed away from them as I pulled up my new found shield and made sure to cover my scent as well. Controlling the shield was very similar to the way I controlled the one in my mind. I just thought about it and pulled it where I needed it. Neither of them made a move toward me; they just sat down on the closest sofa. Livy smiled and eventually said,

"You really won't hurt me. You're going to help me?" She smiled and suddenly the question was more of a statement of fact for her as I nodded. I looked a Sven who stood and walked to me. He knelt down in front of me and looked up at me with his crystal blue eyes as he said,

"I vow my fealty to you Mistress. Whatever you ask of me will always be done. What can I do to ever repay you?" He was smiling so brightly that it made me smile though I was tired beyond belief.

"Always watch out for my husband just like you did tonight and we will always be fast friends." I left them to get settled and excused myself to check on Marcus.

"Marcus, are you here?" I called out for him as I knocked on the guest house door. This was the largest of the cabins hovering around 1800 square feet, which was the size of most people's homes, but this was just one of the guest-houses on Eric's...um... my property; sometimes I forget that all this is mine.

"I am here little one. What can I do for you?"

"Marcus, can I ask you about some strange things that have been happening to me?"

"But of course, little one, come sit." he said as he patted the couch.

"Well tonight I was all but drained of my power but when Eric held me it was like he recharged me. Is that possible?"

"Yes. You have a strong blood bond. It's more of a blood covenant than a blood bond at this point and that is even stronger. Now you are pledged so yes, you two can and do share each other's power. Just like when you sent that burst of power to Eric to help him defeat Ocella."

"You felt that?"

"Yes, your power leaves a taste of sorts in the air that an older vampire like me can sense, feel… taste… it's hard to explain little one. Now what else is bothering you?"

"I keep having dreams of… well… it's silly, impossible really, it can't happen but I keep dreaming of having Eric's babies. Could that ever happen? Could Eric and I have a baby?" I couldn't believe I was asking him this as the words left my mouth.

"No little one, not to my knowledge. But you say it is a dream, do you only see them in your dreams?"

"No, I sometimes see them when I am awake; I can see them running through the house. I can hear them laugh. I haven't told anyone that, not even Eric. The dreams are so real that I have woken up to go check on them before I realize I was dreaming. I can feel them in my arms. Do you think I am going crazy, or I just want his babies so bad that I'm delusional?" I thought about Ally McBeal, the TV show, and her dancing baby. Mine didn't dance but they seemed so real sometimes.

"A heart's desire can do things to a person, that happens to be very illogical, but I have been around long enough to know that really nothing is impossible. There are those that I can contact to ask about a vampire fathering children. There was a rumor I heard once long ago, when I was but an infant vampire, that involved a vampire and his fated having a child. It is rumored that the child was in fact the grandmother of Morgaine the faery that you are descended from. If you would like for me to make inquiries on your behalf I of course will, but it might draw unwanted attention to you."

"Yes. I want to know. I would pay any cost to have his children, anything." I admitted out loud for the first time for that as well.

"As the Queen wishes, I am commanded to do." He smiled and patted me on my head as he basically sent me off to bed, "You should get to your room and prepare for your Viking." I felt too tired to pop or walk but I used the last of my energy and popped to my bedroom to wait for the arrival of my beloved husband and hopefully one day father of my children.

**EPOV**

The paperwork was finished and the temporary coronation was done. I was King. Pam and Belinda were close to popping home as well. I realized I need to call Bobby. Not only had I missed our meeting but he was now the assistant to the King. I would need to give him a raise. Bill was talking with Rasul when I caught him by the arm.

"You did well. You never left her side. My Queen will need a faithful guard one that I can trust to die for her. Will you fill that void?"

"I will always protect her, but what are you really asking me to do?" he said with hesitation.

"I want you to attend all of our public outings the coronations, anything to do with state business, summits or any type of conferences. I want you there to protect her. She will accept you as a guard. I've chosen you and Alcide. What say you?"

"I will do it; but I am doing this for her, not you. King or not, I will never trust you where she is concerned."

"Nor I you, so we have an understanding." I growled and he nodded. I hated him just as much as he hated me but our love for Sookie on some strange level had bonded us together.

I neither cared nor had the desire to know how he was getting home. I was flying home to my beloved. I called the Were to meet me at Sookie's childhood home to speak to him and pick something up for her before continuing on to our home. I landed on the back deck and I could smell her immediately. I began to stalk my prey needing her like nothing else in my existence. I had almost lost her and now to know that she was this close to me, that we were home and she was safe, gave me peace. I was at our resting chamber when I saw her, my beloved, spread across our bed. She was asleep and suddenly I was no long stalking her, I was so transfixed by her beauty that I could not look away. It would seem she'd had enough energy to have been able to wipe most of the blood from her face, but she was still in the same clothes that she'd fought so valiantly in tonight.

I sat down softly on the end of the bed and began to take her shoes off. She had simply collapsed on the bed face down with her little face turned to the side. I could see her pouty lips and sweet nose. She was right that her nose was definitely cuter than mine and any child would be lucky to have one just like it. I pulled her blood soaked jeans from her body and the shirt seemed destroyed as well. I could smell my maker on the shirt so it would seem she got in a lick or two on him herself. I gently removed her bra and then her panties seeing that the blood had soaked through her blouse to the bra, but the panties seemed recoverable. I then covered her with the hideous quilt I had secretly fetched from her home before tossing all of her clothes in the trash, except her little white panties as everything else was a complete loss.

Pulling her to me I just breathed her in and was in my own personal heaven as she woke and began to rub her sweet face against my neck and chest, marking me with her scent as she knows that I love.

"Mmm, you're home…" she yawned and stretched out, "Where are my clothes?" she raised one eyebrow at me and I laughed.

"You passed out on the bed in clothes covered in blood. I was only protecting your beloved quilt." I smirked knowing she had not noticed.

"Ahhh Eric! " She squealed as she pulled it up to her and hugged it. "When? How?" was all she could say

"Tonight, on my way home, I had the Were meet me there. I needed to talk to him on several topics and he let me in so I didn't have to break in to your home." I laughed again due to the feelings of happiness that were overwhelming her.

"Our home, I put your name on the deed and I still need to talk to Alcide about the addition to the cellar, so you will have a resting place there." She smiled her sweet I love you smile as she continued,

"How do you know what to do to make me happy? Why do you always come to save me, even when I do something so stupid as to run into a trap? Why do you love me? Why?" She was suddenly very sober and serious.

"You are my fate. You are my love. We have a blood covenant, you and I. We are bonded. We are pledged. All of those things are true, but I love you because you first loved me. You showed me and gave me what I did not dare hope I could ever have again, Love. I love you because you are my world and I cannot and do not ever want to be without you." and with that I kissed her with everything I had in me. "But if you ever run into another trap while knowing you're running into a trap to save anyone, I will have to punish you severely." I smiled my smirk that I knew she loved and leaned in for yet another kiss. Knowing full well the entire evening had been my fault as her bonded and pledged I should have never allowed her to go to her brother's side without me.

As I looked in her eyes I remembered every time she had walked away from me. I remembered every time she ran or spurned me. I thought about almost losing her to her final death. But she was not running now, she was not sending me away and I did not lose her. She pulls me from the dark place I am entering with a kiss. I pushed all that aside as the dawn was mere hours away and I only wanted to make love to my wife until the dawn took me.

"Eric, let me love you. Stay with me, come back from wherever you are trying to go, stay… love…" she was glowing and so beautiful. I knew what I had to say. I remembered the promise I broke a month ago and even though we were now pledged I had to reaffirm the broken promise.

"Sookie, you are beautiful beyond the words that I have to convey to you. You are smart, loyal and have a sense of adventure that always makes me laugh. Your body is beautiful and your breasts are the most gorgeous I have ever seen…" as she has done in the past, she was trying to stop me from speaking, but this time I continued as I captured her hands in mine. "You are brave, hardworking, creative and responsible. You took me in and protected me, you gave me love when you knew you could lose me, you fought for me at the Witch War and you fought for me tonight. You gave me strength to do what had to be done. I now share everything that I have with you and every vampire that owes me fealty will now honor you as their Queen. I now bring you to my side this night, in this bed, as my wife." She was weeping as she looked at me and whispered.

"It hurt so much the first time you said those things because I knew I would lose you. I never dreamed I would… that you… I thought I'd lost you forever… Oh Eric, please… don't ever leave me…" she kissed my lips and licked the tears from my face.

"Kiss me Lover and let me kiss you." I whispered as I turned her beautiful body so I could reach her lovely sex. I gently spread her thighs open and licked between her sweet folds. She moaned and ground her sweet pussy down on my face. I licked and sucked until she came hard. She screamed out my name before going back down on me and doubling her efforts.

"Oh Sookie… sooo good…." I was in heaven between the wonderful sweet taste that I had learned was just her special flavor and the fact that she was going down on me like a pro. She turned herself so that she was now between my legs and started stroking my balls and the part of cock that would not fit in her mouth with her little hands. She let go of my balls slipping one hand between her legs to wet her fingers and I knew what she was about to do. I could feel my whole body tingle with anticipation and then right before she pushed her fingers into my entrance, she lit her little hand. I screamed and came so hard I levitated off the bed about a foot. She crawled back up my body and slid down on my still rock hard cock. I was an incoherent mess only being able to get out,

"Shit….fuck…harder…. yesssss Sooookie Just like that...aahh.. push down hard… now…" the light was surrounding us but came from her whole body and I was soon brought yet again. I screamed before flipping her onto her back.

"Now Sookie, now you will scream for me…" I thrust back into her. What had started out so loving was now a tornado of raw sex. She felt so damn good. I watched her watch me slip in and out of her. She was just watching the magic of it, in and out, in and out, in and out… then she screamed out,

"Eric yes… oh god…feels soooo good…" I was nowhere near done with her and pulled her up to wrap her legs around my waist with my legs now underneath her, propping her up, so that I could slide back inside of her where I belonged. I knew it was where I would always belong and this time was slower and sweeter.

"I love you. I love you…" our words were the same as we smiled at each other. The only other moment I had ever in my existence been as happy was when my children were born. We reached our completions together and I smiled again at Sookie and whispered,

"You will be a magnificent vampire."

"I know." She giggled. "Eric, will you clean me up? I am just too tired to move on my own. Will you bathe me?"

"Of course I will Lover." That bath led to more wonderful things as I got her dirty again before I cleaned her. She was so tired and I took extra care to make her feel loved and comfortable. As we climbed into bed together she settled between my legs and laid her head on my chest to prepare to go to sleep. She grinned and whispered,

"Eric, do I really snore?" To which I replied,

"No Lover, you make these sweet little noises that I covet and love to hear." This answer seemed to please her as she snuggled against me. Soon she was making her cooing noises and I knew that she would soon be asleep. I pulled her further up my chest and for the second time in my existence I prayed to her God. "Thank you. Thank you for giving her to me. Help me deserve her and give her everything she deserves." With that said I let the dawn take me for the day.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed the lemons and love. I adore you guys and I covet each review. HUGS :)**


	28. Chapter 28 What The Hell?

Chapter 28 – What the Hell?

A/N: ahhh…answers….**sweet sweet answers**…you may or may not have some at the end of this chappy. It will really be up to if you have kept up with the plot bunnies. HUGS

I love my BETA team of **kjwrit** and **sassyvampmama**… they take good care of me. Thanks for all the well wishes while I have been sick! **Strep throat sucks**… as always, I own nothing CH does.

**LAST TIME (EPOV) – Eric and Sookie are finally alone and are able to reaffirm their love and trust in each other.**

"**I love you. I love you…" our words were the same as we smiled at each other. The only other moment I had ever in my existence been as happy was when my children were born. We reached our completions together and I smiled again at Sookie and whispered,**

"**You will be a magnificent vampire."**

"**I know." She giggled. "Eric, will you clean me up? I am just too tired to move on my own. Will you bathe me?"**

"**Of course I will Lover." That bath led to more wonderful things as I got her dirty again before I cleaned her. She was so tired and I took extra care to make her feel loved and comfortable. As we climbed into bed together she settled between my legs and laid her head on my chest to prepare to go to sleep. She grinned and whispered,**

"**Eric, do I really snore?" To which I replied,**

"**No Lover, you make these sweet little noises that I covet and love to hear." This answer seemed to please her as she snuggled against me. Soon she was making her cooing noises and I knew that she would soon be asleep. I pulled her further up my chest and for the second time in my existence I prayed to her God. "Thank you. Thank you for giving her to me. Help me deserve her and give her everything she deserves." With that said I let the dawn take me for the day.**

**SPOV**

Almost one month had passed since Ocella tried to kill us all. Both Eric and I talked extensively about that night and finally decided that we all did the right thing allowing Ocella's children to live. They all hated him and were settling in nicely to life in Louisiana. Some had requested to leave the state and go back to Europe so Eric made those vampire pledge fealty to Marcus since he sat on the European council. Meanwhile, we were all getting ready for the official coronation where Eric would take the throne in a big ole vampire whoop-to-do.

Marcus, Laurell, Alexander and Lillianna were planning on going home to Eastern Europe after the coronation. Marcus was still looking into the whole "Can I have a baby with Eric?" question, while Laurell was in full-on mom mode with me, Jason, Sven, Livy and Eric. She was in heaven doting on us like there was no tomorrow she especially loved taking care of Jason and me. It was almost like she was trying to make up for lost time. I get that. I did that sometimes with Eric. We had only lost a month and yet I couldn't seem to do enough to make up for that, but I couldn't even imagine missing out on someone I loved life for twenty-something years. I get that she felt like she has to fit everything in before they went home, but I kept reminding her that I could always pop over to see her whenever she wanted. I figured if I could pop between realms I can surely handle trans-Atlantic pops! I was really enjoying getting to know her and listening to her and Marcus' stories.

Lillianna and Alex were spending most of their time with Belinda and Pam. Belinda and Lillianna spent every day talking and Christean finally took Belinda to Faery one afternoon. She was totally in awe of the place. Even I understood that because while the one time I had been there was not under the best circumstances, I thought it was wonderful and I decided I would take a trip there with Christean and Niall after the coronation. Pam had developed a close friendship with Lillianna and Alex. The relationship she had with them pleased Belinda and all of them were ALL about pleasing Belinda.

Sven and Livy had decided they would stay here. Livy met her parents at one of Eric's businesses after hours one night and they seemed to make some head way. Her mother sat and held her for a very long time, but her father was a little stand-offish. Afterward Livy said they never had a great relationship to begin with and yet Livy's mother's reaction help restore my faith in humanity somewhat. I realized how much I started looking down on humans as a whole, even though I technically was one. Livy was very happy on our way home that night as she made plans to go shopping with her mom and sister the following week in the evening. Sven was smiling gently at her as she made her plans. I'd thought he saw her in a brotherly/maker sort of way, but the way he was looking at her in the car made me wonder. I didn't really know what to think about that since she was only 17, but now that she was a vampire did that rule really count anymore? I would have to think about that later.

Sven wasn't Eric's biological brother, but he had been a kinsman from Eric's village though. His human life was the price Eric had to pay when Ocella had allowed him to see his children; the price being to make Eric pick someone for Ocella to turn. He had to choose between his son and his cousin. Eric had been particularly close with his cousin Sven, who was the son of Eric's mother's sister. Eric had blamed himself for centuries for Sven's fate and the fact that Ocella had never released Sven had haunted Eric for years.

Sophie-Anne took Andre and my cousin along with her other children home to France. Hadley called me from there and said that Remy said Hunter could visit her if he could come too. Hadley seemed very happy about that. She invited me to come see them and begged me to visit Hunter as often as I could. She seemed to think that if Remy saw there were "good" vampires and other Supes he would be more apt to let her keep her relationship with him once she was turned. I was fine with that since I really wanted to get to know the little fellow.

Pam and Belinda were still enjoying their bonding. Belinda had Lillianna tell her father about her bonding to a vampire. She was so afraid to disappoint him, but she was so happy that she refused to hide any part of her relationship with Pam. Christean took the news surprisingly well. He gave Pam a little nudge and asked when she would pledge to his daughter and make an honest woman out of her. That caused Belinda to blush and Pam to smile like a loon. I knew in that moment that Pam was planning something and that she wanted to pledge to Belinda. I knew it would only be a matter of time until I was throwing some huge elaborate pledging ceremony which was fine by me.

Pam was still planning a wedding for Eric and I. She was pressuring us for a date but there was so much to do with the coronation I was able to back her down on that one. I already felt married to my vampire, so even though I did want the white dress wedding and for the state of Louisiana to recognize us as man and wife; it was not a priority to me like it used to be. I loved my ring, it was so beautiful, and whenever I used my magic it would shine and glow. Laurell said it was due to my Fae magic and because I was in love the ring would glow for me. When she had worn the ring she was not in love with Niall so there was no magic. Laurell was a firm believer in love being a form of magic and to be honest I now did as well. Now that I have been loved by Eric I saw that love and magic are entwined deeply within each other. Not to mention that whenever I felt tired from using my powers all it took to recharge me was for him to hold me in arms and BAM I felt all powered up. He's like a cell phone charger for my body!

Eric and I, well we're doing…well. We discussed in great length the horrible mistake we made in him not speaking his mind the night I went after Jason. He had a feeling that something was off but he was too afraid to tell me his true feelings so as to not start a fight with me. He thought I would think he was trying to 'handle' me. We also spoke about me and my mistake of once again not asking his advice and more importantly not letting Thalia protect me. He had sent her to protect me and I had TOTALLY disregarded that and forced her to protect Arlene's kids instead. It was a cluster-fuck of a night for both of us. We still had a long way to go in communicating with each other and dealing with our pride, but we were working on it and realized it was a problem. Laurell and Marcus both agreed that was going to be half of the battle for us.

Today I just had to work on getting out of wearing the crown Eric insisted I wear at the coronation. I thought we shouldn't flaunt that I would be the first human Vampire Queen. In my opinion I was already getting way too much press and the huge crown would only add fuel to the fire. There was a small uprising over it the week after Eric took the throne, but he squashed it very quickly and with an iron fist. It was really sexy; he came home all bloody and full of lust, mmmm… _'God what is wrong with me?'_ I was pulled from my plotting and planning by my vampire's sweet voice.

"Good Evening Lover… and no I don't care what others think. That crown belongs to the Queen of Louisiana and you are the Queen of Louisiana. You will wear the crown." Oh he so should NOT have phrased it that that way. We were still lying in bed so I jumped up and shouted,

"You high-handed, pig-headed, overbearing Neanderthal! You can NOT make me wear that crown!"

"Yes I can" he said so sweetly and matter of fact like that it pissed me off even more.

"NO you can't!" I said a little more emphatically but he simply replied,

"Yes I can." Once again his voice was sweet and very sure. It was like he knew something I didn't know and that made my temper flare again.

"No you can't! I won't go… you will just have to get sworn in or whatever in the hell they do without me. I will be here in sweatpants watching Oprah on the DVR." I stomped my foot in addition to my pout. He sat up to look at me with the sweetest look on his face and he spoke to me so gently it took me by surprise.

"My beloved wife, it would please me if you would wear the crown and sit by my side. If you would do this for me I would consider it a great favor. I know you hold no value in such things as the crown and that you find it ostentatious, but it means something to me that you are crowned with me." His voice had never risen. He hadn't even got out of the bed. I climbed back into bed with him and said,

"Well after you say it like that… alright… but baby I just think it is drawing more attention to me and there are so many vampires who don't want a human queen."

"You are not human, exactly." He smiled as he ran his fingers through my hair.

"Maybe not, but I'm definitely not a vampire. And I'm not ready to be turned yet, so that is how they will view me, as a human." I sighed as I tried to make sense of my feelings.

"Do you really want me to turn you one day Sookie? Have you changed your mind? Is that what this is about?" he asked with hurt, fear and trepidation in his voice.

"Oh baby… of course I want you to be my maker." I said as I let him into my mind. I showed him my fantasy of him teaching me to feed and hunt. He raised his eyebrow and smiled as he asked,

"Really, you want me to teach you to hunt? You will hunt people for food?" He was almost shocked, but I had thought about it for a long time and I figured if you are going to be a vamp…be a REAL vamp!

"Well bad people… I am not going to hunt down catholic school girls or anything."

"You have no idea what you are missing, most catholic school girls are virgins or back in the day they were and their blood is/was delicious." I could tell by the way his voice ran off and the look on his face that he had spoken out of turn. I forgot sometimes that he was a killer and had probably killed innocent people for food in the past. I guess he picked up on that as he continued,

"It was different then. We never knew when our next meal would come so you would have to gorge yourself to survive. I tried to just glamour and take what I needed, but sometimes I would be so hungry…" he had a faraway look in his eyes, "so damn hungry I could not control it, but I was much younger then. There is a girl that still haunts me to this day. I did not mean to kill her she was so young, so beautiful and so full of life. I think she is why I try so hard with Belinda and Livy. They are my penance." He smiled a sad smile.

"You think God gave you Belinda and Livy to protect since you could not protect the other girl?"

"You mean, since I killed the other girl, Sookie. It wasn't like she accidently died and I did not protect her. I KILLED HER. And yes, in my religion that is not unheard of, I believe that Odin has sent me these girls to do right by since I failed the other. The same belief holds true for me in that he sent me Pam to do right by, since I lost Lydia."

"So why did Odin send me to you?" I had no idea what I had expected him to say, but what he said was a surprise.

"In the beginning I believed it was to punish me, to remind me of all the things I did wrong in my human life and my early existence as a vampire. I believed it was to remind me that I would never again feel or deserve love, but somewhere along the way I now believe your God intervened and has finally granted me peace. Odin did not give you to me; your God did." He said with such conviction I believed him.

"I think that momma and daddy had something to do with it too! They are in heaven and I know they wanted me to be safe and happy so I think they had a hand it in as well." I smiled as Eric held me in his arms and he said one more thing that surprised me.

"Sookie, I will be a better husband to you than I was to Aude. I loved Aude but I left her frequently for exploring and adventuring when I did not have to. I did not take good enough care of her. If I had been home she wouldn't have gotten sick while pregnant with our last baby. She would not have died and our baby would have lived." He said in that far away voice that I know means he was lost in the past. I dipped into his mind and watched him lay Aude and the baby on their death bed. I saw the tears in his eyes and felt the loss in his heart as he held the dead baby one last time. I watched him pick up a crying Aunna and rock her back and forth before I spoke. It was the most selfish thought I had ever voiced.

"But you wouldn't have been on that road looking for a new wife if they had not died and you would have never been turned. Even though I hated Ocella and I loved seeing his head fly from his body, I am grateful he turned you so that I can have you now. Does that make me a horrible person?" I asked with tears in my eyes. They were tears of shame for my selfishness and for the thought of not having him.

"No my wife, it does not. I love you so." And as if he read my mind and who knows he may have peaked, he'd said exactly what I needed to hear, "I will take care of you. I will never let you be hurt. I won't leave you Sookie. I promise."

"Oh baby, I know you won't leave me and you are a wonderful husband. I love you and I will wear that silly crown if it makes you happy." I smiled as I promised myself to be less selfish where he was concerned. He smirked, his sexy smirk, as he waggled his eyebrows at me and said,

"I knew you would see it my way Lover."

"That is what you meant by 'Yes I can?' You had already planned on telling me all of this so you knew I would change my mind and say yes, didn't you?" I asked with a slight laugh to my voice and I realized that while he'd meant every word he'd said, I had been 'handled' very well.

"I have no idea what you are talking about Lover. We really should call Pam to see if she can come over for a final fitting for her gown and yours. I will call the tailor." He smiled as he reached for his cell phone on the night stand.

"Her name is Vera, Eric. Vera Wang, she is a very famous designer and she is going to do my wedding dress too." I informed him and that was much to Pam's chagrin. She had her heart set on some famous vampire designer, but I wanted Vera and I could afford Vera so I was getting Vera!

"Of course Lover, whatever you say." He began to make phone calls as I tried to sit down and figure out exactly when I lost the fight over the crown… Oh hell it was probably when he said "Good Evening Lover."

**EPOV (2 weeks later)**

Tonight Sookie and I will be crowned formally in the coronation of the century. I had meant for it to be a small affair, but Pam had planned it so I signed my own death warrant on that one. Royals from across the country would be there so I would have to be on guard to protect my beloved at all times. I was not happy about the fact that Felipe DeCastro had requested a meeting with me prior to the Coronation. He wanted to speak with me at the brief informal get together held before the ceremony saying it was of the utmost importance that he be granted an audience with me. I had a room set up off the main hall to accommodate his request.

I called Niall and advised him that I wanted the Royal Guard for Sookie if he thought he would be able to hide their scents from all the vampires. He said that he would send two of the older Fae guards and the rest would be on stand-by should there be any problems. None of the visiting dignitaries were allowed bring entourages; so we were not expecting an uprising but if two or more joined together to attempt to overthrow the state we could have trouble. That was the main reason I was glad that Marcus, Laurell, Alexander, Lillianna, Niall, Christean, Pam and Sven would all be there. I still considered Belinda and Livy cannon fodder and worried that if there was an attack they would just be two more for us to protect, but as much as I love Belinda and care for Livy, my main priority would be my Beloved, my Sookie.

My Sookie, last night was so special to us. She'd told me of the time after her parents died and how sad she had become. She had let me into places in her heart that she normally kept hidden from me. She told me about the dreams she had been having about our children. She told me how she wanted to take me to Sweden for our honeymoon trip. I smiled remembering the conversations and sweet touches of the night before.

"_Sookie, why do you never speak of your parents?"_

"_The same reason you don't talk about your children. It hurts too much."_

"_If you ever need to talk to me, I will listen."_

"_Thank you, baby, I was just so depressed after they died. At first I could go to their graves and I would feel so much better afterward. Sometimes I would swear I could even smell momma on my clothes after going down there, but after a time it didn't feel that way anymore. It started feeling like I was missing something even more. I was just so empty. Like the loss was even deeper somehow. I don't know how to explain it. It got better but I quit visiting their graves after that." She sighed and snuggled closer to me. She took a deep breath and I knew she was about to say something big but I had no clue where she was going. _

"_Eric, I have to tell you something. You know I have told you about the baby dreams right?" I nodded and she continued,_

"_Well, I haven't just been seeing them in my dreams. I see them around the house and I hear their voices. I see them at different ages. I thought I was going crazy so I talked to Marcus about it and he is looking into some old magic and old rumors for me, well for us." She looked down realizing I was a bit taken aback that not only had she kept something like that from me but went to Marcus instead of me._

"_Sookie, why didn't you come to me to talk to about this? I am your bonded and pledged. How could you tell Marcus and not me?" I asked somewhat hurt and confused._

"_Eric, I thought I was going crazy. I mean I am seeing phantom children! I have been CRAZY fucking Sookie all my damn life! You have been the ONLY person to ever think I was special and not crazy. I was afraid you would finally see…." She began to cry… damn it I hate it when she cries._

"_You are afraid I would finally see what?" I coaxed softly as I stroked her hair._

"_Eric, I'm broken. My insides are all broken." She sobbed into my chest._

"_I know, Sookie. So am I. Do you love me any less knowing how abused I have been in my past? Do you love me any less knowing how I have failed as a maker or how I have killed?" I asked and she sniffed as she looked up at me._

"_No it makes me want to love you more. I feel like if I love you 'hard' that's not the right word, but you know like if I just do more and love you more I could erase some of the bad that has happened to you." She hiccupped. That was actually a good sign. She always got the hiccups after she was finished crying. I smiled and said,_

"_Sookie, I love you because you are broken. I love you for who you are every piece even the broken pieces. Just like you, I want to love you more, deeper so that I can heal the broken pieces. Don't you see, every time we make love we heal each other just a little bit more? Haven't you notice, aren't you having a hard time remembering hurts of the past?"_

"_You know, I used to think about Uncle Bartlett and how he hurt me almost every time after we had sex, but now I never think about him anymore. I can talk about momma and daddy and not cry and I can talk about Gran and not think about her murder... oh my stars…Eric?" she smiled a confused but happy smile._

"_I know Sookie, I used to think of Lydia, Aude and Aunna and it would hurt me so much. All I could feel was the loss of them, but now I can remember happy times. I can talk about the first time Lydia flew with me and she threw up, on me…" we chuckled together and I continued, "I can tell you about Aude and Aunna without the heartbreaking pain and guilt." I smiled._

"_So every time we make love we help heal the other's broken parts?" she questioned._

"_That is my theory and I believe I am right. It is the only explanation." We held each other for a very long time just trying to comprehend everything we had just realized. Sookie spoke first,_

"_Eric, I really want to have your baby. I don't know why but I think I might be able to and that is why I keep putting off you turning me." she sighed and rubbed her face on my chest._

"_I know."_

"_You know."_

"_Yes, the last time we talked about it being your dream I had a feeling that you were holding something back from me. If it can be done Lover, I would be honored. But Sookie if it is just a dream will you be able to let it go?"_

"_Yes, for you. I can do anything for you." She smiled and lit her little hands with her light filling the room. For the rest of the evening we showed each other just how much we loved each other._

I was brought from my thoughts by Thalia. She was walking toward me smiling and to be honest I don't think I had ever seen her smile like this. I then realized she was not smiling at me but at Christean. He had been here all day helping the Were go over the main hall for security, but now I see that is not why he had stayed. He had stayed for her. He had the look, the one I reserve for only Sookie. We were all in the Private Royal Suite waiting on the girls to get ready. Christean reached for Thalia's hand as she reached for him as well and he kissed her hand and said,

"You look so beautiful my darling." Thalia would have blushed if she could I think. I continued to hear rustling and every once in a while I would hear Sookie protest and Pam yell but I knew they would work it out on their own so I remained with Christean and Thalia. Slowly my 'Men in Arms' started to filter into the room Marcus, Alexander, Niall, Bill and Alcide all sat down to wait on the lady of the hour, My Sookie. Laurell and Lillianna came out first and I heard Lilli whisper to Alex,

"Be ready, he may pass out when he sees her. Her magic did something the moment we sat the crowns on her head. She is… she looks…otherworldly." It was decided that the two crowns that Sookie was entitled to wear, would be used. Her Brigant crown was to fit inside and wound into the larger Queen's crown. Both crowns were surrounded in mystery and magic but apparently Sookie's own particular magic had caused some type of reaction. The crown was nothing like the pageant crowns of today's world. It reminded me of the crown I saw while Sookie watched the movie "Everafter" and I had no doubt the crown would be spectacular on her.

Pam and Belinda then entered with Livy who looked much older than her 17 human years. Sven had a familiar look on his face as well. I would have to speak with him on that later. She was vampire now and that made the rules different for courting her, but I would make sure she was handled with care. Laurell seemed to catch the look too but she shook her head no at me.

"To Livy, this is the Prom she did not get to go to and Sven is her knight in shining armor. We will worry about the rest later. Tonight we let them have this. I have spoken with him." she whispered.

"How is Sookie? Who is with her now?"

"Claudine." Belinda answered, "She is helping Sookie with the last little part of her look and she is on the phone with Sophie-Anne with some last minute details."

That was surprising, but I understood that Sookie wanted the coronation to be perfect for me. She did not care for any of this and through our bond I could feel her trepidation but she was doing this for me. I could feel her resolution and determination to make me proud and the thoughts coming from her made me smile.

I was about to start pacing again when I saw her walk in the door…Oh fuck me… I was never going to make it through the ceremony. I would take her on the damn stage in front of everyone. She glowed with magic and her smile was so bright it lit the whole room. Her gown was silver and gold but somehow translucent the beading was intricate and made her and the gown look so delicate. There were no words to describe her beauty and grace, she was truly a Queen. She looked into the room at all the people she loved. She squeezed Claudine's hand and then started walking around the room to hug her family. She spared me several lingering glances; it seemed that she too was lusting after me.

She walked to me and took me in her arms and I melted into her embrace. She stroked my back and arms and went up on her tip toes as I bent down to kiss her. It was a nice LONG kiss that made me want more. It took her breath away. Her brother had just walked into the room and broke us from our embrace with the statement,

"Seriously, dude, THAT IS MY sister. I know you are married and all but COME ON…you can't keep doing that out where I can just walk in and see it." He also made a little choking noise and did a little shimmy shake that cause everyone including me to laugh. I turned back to my beloved and told her,

"You are so beautiful Sookie. I love you! Are you ready to go greet the people of your monarchy?" I asked and she smiled and said, "Yes," and with that we were lining up to start the procession. I reminded everyone of the short stop we had to make to greet DeCastro and to be on guard. I opened the door nodding to Rasul and my Royal guards before turning to Bill, Alcide, and the Fae Royal guard. Sookie spared a sweet smile to Bill and Alcide as they fell in line close to her. We had practiced this as you would for a wedding and the sole purpose was to keep Sookie in the middle of the large group of people that would willingly die to protect her. We would walk in and be announced there would be a small time to mingle with the guests, the short meeting with DeCastro, then the ceremony and finally a ball. We vampires are big on balls… I smiled at my inner monologue and Sookie snickered as I realized she had heard the "balls" comment.

After we were introduced I saw DeCastro moving toward us a little too fast for my liking. I then notice that Stan Davis, the King of Texas, Russell Edgington, the King of Mississippi, his boyfriend Bartlett Crowe, the King of Indiana and Constance Travis, the newly crowned Queen of Alabama moved behind us as if to offer aid. We rushed at DeCastro and pushed him and the two vampires with him toward the hall off the main area. Once behind closed doors it was then that I realized the other vampires were not offering me aid. They were with DeCastro. My worst fears of an overthrow were coming to pass; an attempted coup d'état.

Stan called out, "Sookie Stackhouse are you under duress?"

"No! Stan, WHAT. THE. HELL?" Sookie screamed at him from our tight little group. "I don't want to hurt any of you… what are you doing? Are you trying to overthrow our state?" She instinctively had lit her hands as she spoke to Stan but it was Russell who answered her.

"No Sookie, we would never do that to you… to him maybe, but that is neither here nor there." Russell drawled out in his Southern accent. Just then DeCastro stepped forward and Sookie and he caught each other's eyes. He smiled a genuine smile and she looked and felt confused for a moment but then she beamed as she broke through her wall of protectors and ran to DeCastro's open arms. She giggled as she leapt into his arms.

It was my turn to say, "WHAT. THE. HELL?"

**A/N oh my goodness… what do you think that was? Have you paid attention when momma minion told you to? Remember all those times I said to "Pay attention LOTS of information and plot here? If you did as momma told you… You have ANSWERS…Sweet Sweet Answers…if you didn't then you are mad at me and you have to wait 'til next Tuesday! Curse me if you will, I love you anyway my baby minions! **

**OH all right… maybe if you leave a review I will give you a hint… it may not be a sneak of the next chappy but a good hint. HUGS**


	29. Chapter 29 Property of Eric Northman

Chapter 29 – Property of Eric Northman

A/N: oh my… **Is Eric is about to go CAVEMAN…. It is gonna be awesome!** HUGS this is just a romp I promise the sweet stuff after the ball… as always I own nothing. Love you guys. Thanks for reading and reviewing **I appreciate and love you baby minions soooooo much! HUGS**

Thanks to my incredible Beta team of **sassyvampmama and kjwrit**… if you are not reading their stuff read this and then go check them out!

_**LAST TIME EPOV: (Sookie and Eric had a sweet heart to heart and prepared to take the throne. They have just been introduced into the main hall but were walking to a hall off the main area to meet with DeCastro when it would seem there was going to be a play for power.)**_

**After we were introduced I saw DeCastro moving toward us a little too fast for my liking. I then notice that Stan Davis, the King of Texas, Russell Edgington, the King of Mississippi, his boyfriend Bartlett Crowe, the King of Indiana and Constance Travis, the newly crowned Queen of Alabama moved behind us as if to offer aid. We rushed at DeCastro and pushed him and the two vampires with him toward the hall off the main area. Once behind closed doors it was then that I realized the other vampires were not offering me aid. They were with DeCastro. My worst fears of an overthrow were coming to pass; an attempted coup d'état.**

**Stan called out, "Sookie Stackhouse are you under duress?"**

"**No! Stan, .HELL?" Sookie screamed at him from our tight little group. "I don't want to hurt any of you… what are you doing? Are you trying to overthrow our state?" She instinctively had lit her hands as she spoke to Stan but it was Russell who answered her.**

"**No Sookie, we would never do that to you… to him maybe, but that is neither here nor there." Russell drawled out in his Southern accent. Just then DeCastro stepped forward and Sookie and he caught each other's eyes. He smiled a genuine smile and she looked and felt confused for a moment but then she beamed as she broke through her wall of protectors and ran to DeCastro's open arms. She giggled as she leapt into his arms. **

**It was my turn to say, ". HELL?" **

**SPOV**

Suddenly I could remember everything. This was the man that would sit and hold me night after night at momma and daddy's grave site. This man saved me from my Uncle. He would tell me stories, wonderful stories and he felt like 'home' whenever he would hold me. I broke free of the cocoon of vampires and faeries that enveloped me and ran to him as fast as I could. It was like running home to your mom after being away from home for a long time. That was the way I felt. I was confused and while I wasn't completely certain, deep in my soul I knew I was connected to him through my momma somehow. I leapt in his arms and he caught me as we both laughed. Over our laughter I heard Eric and knew he was coming toward us.

"Get behind me little one, I will protect you." The dark stranger coaxed and pulled at me.

"Protect me from whom?" I asked genuinely confused.

"The Northman." he growled.

"But I'm pledged to him and I love him." I had not even noticed everyone reaching for their swords and preparing to battle until I heard Eric again and I knew the sound of his sword being unsheathed. I shouted,

"Everyone wait…" everyone froze, "I think I know what is going on here and we are all on the same side." I let go of the dark stranger who I now knew was none other than Felipe DeCastro. I had been visited by this vampire long ago; he was the man from my dreams only they were not dreams. And as if he could read my mind he whispered.

"When you were very young you could be glamoured, but as your powers grew so did your shields and I could not afford to visit anymore." He let go of me and I slowly returned to Eric's side and then it was Eric's turn to speak.

"Felipe, I think you should start at the very beginning and leave nothing out." He was angry, very angry but willing to listen for my sake.

"We thought you had taken her by force. I was only trying to protect my family. Sookie is from my human blood line." I wasn't exactly shocked by the confession, but I was still confused and we all decided it would be best to go back to the large den so we could sit down and speak in private.

Once inside and seated in Eric's lap, I decided we would handle the 'storming of the castle' before the fact that I had more family so I looked at Stan, Russell, Bart and Felipe asking,

"What are you guys doing here?"

It was Stan who spoke first, "Felipe contacted each of us knowing how you have helped us in the past and that we hold you in high favor. He told us Northman had taken the state and he feared he had taken you by force. He offered an alliance between our states and his own if we agreed to help him. We all agreed that you would have come to save us, so we were honor bound to save you." What is it with vampires and honor? They act as though they are like the Knights of the Round Table with that crap!

"Okay…. I get Stan, Russell and Bart, but I don't know you." I said to the vampire introduced only as the Queen of Alabama.

"I am his woman, Constance." She said with a tilt of her head in Felipe's direction. "I love him; he loves you… so there you go." That was all she said as she seemed extremely bored. I decided that she reminded me of Pam in many ways; her dead pan way of speech, her undying loyalty to Felipe and the way she continued to scan the room looking for danger. I looked at them and felt a horrible fit of giggles coming on… they were out powered and out manned 3-1 but they had come to rescue me so I tried to keep a straight face.

"Let me get this straight, you thought Eric had kidnapped me and you came here to save me?" I had started to giggle; it was the nervous laugh I normally got at funerals and other inappropriate situations that would only get worse when I tried to stop.

"How the hell were you going to get me out of here? This is freakin' Vampire Fort Knox. Did you have an exit plan?" I buried my head against Eric and tried to hide the fact that I was laughing at them.

"Perhaps we were foolhardy, but we came for you nonetheless." Felipe smiled realizing I had no idea the full extent of his plan, but I no longer had any doubt that he had been ready; I just had no way of knowing until I then heard a familiar voice that made me smile.

"I tried to tell them to just let me call you Miss Sookie; I knew Mr. Eric wouldn't hurt you." Bubba tried to explain but he continued to say, "I was supposed to open this here door and let our other vampires in to help you." He turned to Felipe, "Mr. Felipe, I told them everything was okay and Miss Sookie said she was fine but they are all waiting outside." He said in his unforgettable Southern drawl voice.

"Go back outside, give them the code, tell them to disburse and go home. All is well here." He smiled at the man we all knew by another name, but preferred to be called Bubba. It was a very confused Belinda, who asked,

"Wasn't that Elv…?" I cut her off before she could say the name.

"He doesn't like that name. It makes him think of bad times." I explained before pulling Eric and Felipe off to the side.

"Can we go talk somewhere alone, just us? I know we don't have much time but I want to hear how we are related." My voice was uncertain as I spoke not sure of the proper etiquette in the situation we were in Eric held me close and whispered,

"We can put off the ceremony for as long as you need. You are Queen…they are your subjects…you say wait…they wait." It did not escape me that Eric still thought in that old world view of royalty so I just smiled and nodded as I cuddled close to him. Felipe, Eric, and I walked further into the room where a grouping of furniture was staged around an elaborate marble fire place. There was an oversized loveseat that Eric and I sat down on and Felipe sat across from us in a beautiful leather chair that matched our own. Felipe drew in an unnecessary deep breath and began to explain his story to us.

"I have many things to tell you Sookie, first of which I think should be our connection. I had a human family before I was turned and fathered two sons and a daughter. I followed them throughout their lives watching them grow and eventually have families of their own. It became a hobby of mine to watch over my little family or perhaps a habit more than a hobby." He smiled and it made me want to be back in his arms. He felt like family, but I cuddled against Eric instead as Felipe continued.

"So, many centuries later, I was keeping watch over your mother, Michelle, since she was my closest descendent and she was a very beautiful girl. I knew the man she was marrying was part fairy, I could smell that much, but as always I kept my distance. No one ever knew I existed or that I was even there. I, as you know, could not always be there but I did come in and out of your life several times. Your mother did not have your ability, but sometimes it skips a generation…"

"What ability, my telepathy? What do you mean exactly?" I questioned unsure how my telepathy fell into all this.

"Your ability of telepathy falls from my, well, from our family. My mother was a great seer; my sister could read minds like you as could my daughter. My daughter would have been your Great–Great- Great grandmother or at least I think that is enough greats, sometimes even I get confused." He smiled again and I could not help but reach for his hands as he whispered,

"Let me show you the rest." He grinned and I held his hand with my outstretched right hand while holding one of Eric's hands in my left. I was astonished at what I saw.

**EPOV**

'_Well Felipe you bastard, no wonder you've moved up the ranks this fast.'_ I thought to myself as Sookie held my hand and Felipe began to show us her past. The damn bastard could project thoughts, or emotions at the very least, with his touch. Well shit. I shook those thoughts from my head as I looked at the vision Felipe was providing us; it was Sookie.

_She was a tiny thing standing by a grave in the middle of the night wearing a long white night gown. I felt her hold my hand a little tighter at seeing herself there as we watched Felipe approach her tiny form and take her little hand into his. He spoke softly to her telling her he was family and that he was there to watch over her._

"_Like an angel?" she had asked him. To which he replied,_

"_Yes, like an angel." She looked up at him and smiled a little uncertain of his claim, but as he picked her up into his arms she sighed and wrapped her arms around him as she cried. He flashed forward to another night where Sookie was shaking and scared. She asked Felipe,_

"_Can you protect me during the day?"_

"_I cannot see you during the day, but tell me what has you so afraid and I will protect you, I will find away."_

"_My Uncle Bartlett hurts me… he touches me…here…and it hurts…" and as she pointed I saw the hate fill Felipe's eyes. He lifted her in his arms and whispered,_

"_He will never hurt you again… never…" W_ith that the dream let us go and Sookie began to speak.

"I remember that. I remember how you felt like momma and you made me feel safe. I was so scared. I never wanted you to go…" The tears were now flowing down her face.

"We would meet like that for years, but eventually I had to stop coming to see you because I could not glamour you into forgetting me. I could not afford anyone knowing of your connection to me. Vampires did not live in the open then, but you would have been used against me if others would have known, especially if your talent was discovered." He wanted to say more but I interrupted him with the only question I had,

"Why did you not kill HIM?"

"I promised Adele. And what I glamoured him into believing was a more fitting punishment. It turned him into the hermit he became and he never hurt another child again." he said as he turned to me, "After the news of Adele's murder came. I went to pay him a visit, but I was too late it would seem."

"Yes, William Compton, a vampire who owes me fealty and is also Sookie's neighbor, killed him when he found out what had happened to her."

"I will have to thank him, but I truly wanted the honor. He only lived due to Adele not wishing him dead, but she did want him to suffer and he did." Felipe growled. One day I would like to know what he did and how he kept the predator away from Sookie for all of those years. What made him stay away? Sookie brought me from my thoughts by asking Felipe,

"Gran knew you?" Sookie asked.

"Yes and no. I glamoured her to forget me, but also that she would know to call a certain number if you were ever in trouble. I made sure your Uncle would never bother you again before I left. Sookie I may not have always been near, but I sent others to watch over you in my stead. In times of need you were never alone." He smiled at her and she looked confused.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"After word of Adele's murder reached me I knew you were in play. I knew that vampires not only knew who you were, but what you were. I also feared they would figure out our connection. Do you remember a little 'bat' that came to your aid in Dallas?"

"Luna, you sent Luna to me?" Sookie questioned.

"She is a friend of a friend." He smiled as he continued, "Do you remember how Bubba just suddenly appeared when you needed him in Jackson or how Ray Don was so willing to help you by offering to seal your wound?"

"I thought Eric called Bubba and Russell ordered the others to help for saving Betty Jo?" she said as she looked to me.

"I did call for Bubba, but I had not spoken to him directly and I never heard Russell say a word to the others. They simply appeared after we arrived and rendered aid." I said as Felipe continued to talk.

"…and let's not forget at the Witch-Were war Bubba suddenly showed up then too, did he not? Bubba has been one of my most loyal subjects. He is fond of Las Vegas and we owe him a debt. When I realized he had met you through one of Sophie-Anne's spies and that you were comfortable with him I asked for his help in overseeing your safety." he paused for a moment before saying,

"I am sorry if you feel that I abandoned you Sookie." He said sincerely.

"Sophie-Anne's spy… that was Bill, he was my first boyfriend." She said to no one in particular and it was then that she suddenly made yet another realization,

"It was you…I was missing you…" she said to him, but then turned directing her comment to me, "Remember when I told you that I thought for a long time I was over my parents deaths and that I could go to their graves and I would have peace? Then one day it didn't bring me peace anymore, but it made me feel worse instead, do you remember that?"

"Yes, Lover I remember you telling me that."

"It was Felipe..." She then turned back to him, "It was you that I was missing. I wasn't going to their graves to talk to them I was going to talk to you… I needed you and you left me. You abandoned me. I know you think it was for the best, but you have no idea what that empty hole in my heart did to me, you have no idea." I knew what it had done to her. It crushed her and set her on the road to thinking that being abandoned was her normal. Felipe walked to her slowly and took her hands in his own as he spoke,

"Sookie, I may not have been there but I have tried to watch over you. I have had the taxes on your property paid or glamoured people into lowering the amount. I have tried to take care of monetary things for you and while I know those things don't matter to you, that love means more to you than money, you must realize that I stayed away because I love you." There was another long pause, "Are there anymore questions for me, little one?"

"Yes, but they all can wait I only want one thing right now. Will you hold me for a minute and then we can go do this coronation thing?" she whispered. I felt no jealousy at her want for him to hold her. I felt joy for her knowing she only wanted to feel like her mother was here and through this weird twist of fate she was in some strange way. He held her close and spoke once more,

"If I had known little one, I would have found a way to keep you in my life. I thought I was protecting you. I had no way of knowing that parts of what we shared had seeped into your mind. I will do my best to never be so high handed again." Sookie smiled through her tears and giggled a little saying,

"Maybe that's why I love you so much Eric. You have always been so high handed and it seems like a trait that all my family members have with me." She smiled through her tears and peered up at me with pure joy on her face as if she had all of the missing pieces of the puzzle that was her life and only needed to sit down and put it all together. We could do that later together and I let her know that but there was one matter as King I had to attend to myself now.

"Felipe you and your…co-conspirators still have to face trial for what you tried to pull here tonight. I cannot let this stand….I cannot afford to be seen as weak."

"Eric, please no… he's my…" I let her in my mind and she saw what I was thinking and she smiled.

"You, of course, could forgo a trial if you and your band of ruffians were to swear fealty to my Queen by joining into an alliance with she and I. Then I might be persuaded to forget your indiscretions from this evening." The joining of our states would make us all but untouchable.

"I believe that can be arranged. My Queen of course will not swear fealty to another but she has sworn her fealty to me, so that should suffice I would think?" I nodded and we were on our way back to line up and prepare for the coronation.

**SPOV**

Twenty minutes later or so we walked toward our coronation. The "ooohs" and "aaahhs" were proof that we all looked really good. My Viking looked like a dream; a nice, long, wet dream. He had on gorgeous tan leather pants that were like butter to the touch coupled with a long tunic that had intricate beading on it, much like the beading I had put on my gown so that we matched somewhat without being what Pam called "matchy-matchy". Apparently Eric hated that so we avoided it at all cost. To me we were all dressed to match each other in some way much like a wedding party. I watched him in awe as they sat the newly crafted King's crown on his golden mane of hair. He was always beautiful to me and I adored him as well as the way he would look at me making me feel valued and loved beyond compare.

The magister and several others were there to officiate the ceremony. Marcus, being the oldest vampire in attendance, had a role to play as well. He was very well respected and took on a different persona as he spoke in what I thought was Latin. I couldn't be sure but I knew it was not Swedish, Fae or English. I only knew we were coming to the end when all of the vampires in attendance went down on one knee and bowed their heads in deference which made me a little uneasy, but I outwardly showed no discomfort so as to not draw any attention to myself. This was about Eric and about him being seen as a strong King. I turned and went down on my knees in front of him, as I had practiced via phone conversation with Sophie, and whispered as I bowed my head,

"My King." I was on my knees for maybe a millisecond when Eric pulled me up to meet his gaze.

"My Queen, you honor me with your display, but you **never** have to kneel before me." It was then that I recognized the quote and the meaning. Marcus told Laurell this long ago and I thought it was just him being sweet, but now in this moment I realized the meaning of it all. Eric was telling me I was his true Queen, not just in name, but in that he valued me as his equal and I was to rule with him, by his side.

Suddenly, I did not care about the throngs of people watching us I stepped forward to him and his smile let me know it was alright, so I wrapped my arms around him and held him close to me. He kissed me on my forehead and began to help me turn back to the audience as they applauded.

And after months of stress and worry the moment was over and we were the King and Queen of Louisiana. I for one was glad it was over. Laurell had Felipe cornered by the oversized fireplace and I was concerned for him. She was going on and on and it seemed heated.

"I searched for her for 25 years…25 years… you knew where she was and who she was and YOU SAID NOTHING… Felipe I don't care if you say you claim you were protecting her, I am her Great-Grandmother! She is my baby…" I cut them off.

"So I take it that you know each other?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Felipe is a child of a child of Marcus'" she explained cryptically.

"Laurell, I knew her name was Sookie Stackhouse, that she was my kin, and that she was a telepath who had Fae blood. I had no way to know she was the child you searched for and there was no way in God's name I would ever betray her on a whim. You and Marcus are honorable, but what if she had fallen into the hands of another?" he asked as Laurell's face seemed to lighten up a bit when she realized he had not kept me from her.

"Seriously Felipe, you have always been a clever boy, her family lives beside the portal that is known to belong to Sky Fae. Her name is Sookie, a sky name and she looks just like me for God Sake…."

"Wait…" I interrupted, "Sookie is a sky name? How did my mom and dad know that? And I don't look like you as much as Aunt Linda looked like you." I babbled as I felt Eric make his way to my side.

"Just like our language lives inside you Sookie, so it did with your father. I am sure that is where the name came from. It means 'mornings glorious sky', like over the savannah and I am sorry little one I thought I told you all of this long ago or perhaps I just thought you knew." She smiled sadly as she pulled me to her and hugged me. It was always the same; it was like coming home. Whenever she, Felipe or Eric held me, all was right in the world no matter what else is happening or going on. As long as I was in their arms I knew everything would be alright. There was so much I wanted to say to her, but what came out was,

"I love you Gammy." I smiled as she held me.

"Come on little one let's get you something to eat. I haven't seen you touch any of the food and you are who they went to all the trouble for. You should have heard the vampire guard going on and on about making sure the caterer kept the food hot for the Queen. They are so afraid of your Viking." She laughed her full laugh that always filled me with happiness. I also realized she called him 'your Viking.' She had always called him her little Viking up until now. I looked to Eric and he nodded as I let go of his arm and walked with her to check out the dining hall.

I walked with Laurell from the great hall to where all the delicious smells were coming from. She looked longingly at the turkey as she sighed,

"I miss turkey. It was my favorite food beside chocolate." She laughed.

"What happens if a vampire eats food?" I had always wondered and since I would be one one day, I both wanted and needed to know.

"Well, nothing at first, which is a good thing since we used to have to eat in front of humans as not to raise suspicion, but after about an hour it is not pretty. You must remember Sookie that no matter how alive we seem to you, we are dead inside. There is no way to digest the food and get it out of our stomach other than for it to come back out the way it went in." She smiled seeming embarrassed and I knew her next question,

"Sookie are you sure you want to become one of us? You are so vibrant, so alive. I know you love Eric and want to be with him forever but you will live for centuries as you are…" She stopped herself and said "I am doing that thing I do, right? The thing where I try to super-impose my wishes on you." She said this more to herself than to me. I laughed and nodded as I asked,

"Gammy, you love being a vampire right?"

"Yes. I love my existence."

"I love Eric, I love you and I want to be around for you guys forever, but I am not quite ready to be a vampire yet. I do promise that when I have Eric turn me I will call you and Marcus so you will know, alright?" She nodded as she patted my hand and with that we headed for the food. I was starving and all of it looked so wonderful. After eating a small feast I could feel Eric floating around my head so I sent him a mental hello and said,

'_Hey baby, I miss you. Please come hold me and help me change clothes.' _and faster than I could register I was in my vampires arms. We had planned to change clothes after the coronation but before the ball so that the crowns could be put in the vault and we could be somewhat more comfortable. Eric had me in his embrace and he whispered,

"Did you say you were ready to change clothes my Queen?"

"Yes, my King." I smiled up at him and with that he whisked me out of the room back to the Royal suite. I had no idea if the guards had been able to keep up or not, but I didn't care. I just needed my vampire.

He looked at me lovingly as he gently sat me down in front of my mirror and began taking the pins out of my hair that had secured my crown to my head. He then brushed my hair which felt absolutely wonderful. I knew that I would have to put it back up before we went down but for now the luxury of him taking care of me like this was worth the redo. He then slid the straps of my gown down my shoulders and since I had been sans a bra I now sat there bare from the waist up before him. I watched him lick his lips as he looked at me in the mirror reaching for me, and in our reflection I watched him roll my breasts in his hands.

"Watch me Sookie. Watch me please you." I felt myself get wet at his words and as the dampness between my legs grew I watched him smirk as he added,

"I can smell your arousal Sookie, do you want me? Tell me." he commanded.

"My king, oh master, please…" I said as I threw my head back against him. I couldn't watch him touch me anymore; it was too much and I wanted him so much. I rubbed my head against him over and over before he pulled me up and my dress dropped to the floor. The tiny black lace panties soon followed as he knelt down to help me out of them. I started to toss the heels but he growled,

"No, leave them… now, who does this belong to?" he asked as he cupped my sex in his hand. I was dying for him to rub my throbbing little nub, but he was avoiding it to torture me and make me beg.

"You…"

"Who does this belong to Sookie?"

"YOU" I said a little louder while begging to be touched.

"Don't make me ask you again, who does this belong to Sookie?" he said growled almost menacingly and I finally caught on as I answered,

"You my King and my master, only you… you own me." And with that he slipped his fingers between my folds and began to stroke me as I moaned and writhed on his hand as he brought me hard. My fingers fumbled with his clothes but with his help and vampire speed he was soon nude and putting us on the bed.

"Sookie, we do not have much time, but I promise to love you all night after the ball is over. For now I am going to take you and make you mine. I want everyone in there to smell me on you when you walk back in to dance with me." When he said, 'I am going to take you' I knew what that meant and I damn near came from his words alone. I reached for him and stroked his long hardened length as hard as I could grip and he growled at me. Then he was on top of me pulling at me to get me at just the right angle. My legs were looped around his shoulders and he was inside me. He was hard and fast. It was glorious. He came soon after with a roar and I followed. We laid there for a few moments; he stroked my hair as I panted.

"I love you Sookie." He whispered as if he spoke any louder it would break the spell that was surrounding us.

I love you too baby. You owe me snuggle time, but I know you are good for it." I giggled as I continued, "Can you send out a call to Pam? I am going to need her help to get 'patched' back up." I requested.

I was in the bathroom for maybe 5 minutes when Pam appeared and in true Pam fashion said,

"Eric! For the love of GOD! Do you have any idea how long that hair and makeup took? You just had to whip it out didn't you? Well you stay away from her until I get her back down stairs…go plunder something else." She barked, he laughed, I giggled but she was NOT amused.

Soon I was back together and on my way downstairs and much to my Vikings liking I did not shower so that his scent would be all over me. The old Sookie would have hated that, but I loved it and it made me feel safe in a room full of mostly strange vampires. I wanted them all to know exactly who this little 'faery' belonged to. I was property of Eric Northman and proud of it. If I had had a t-shirt that said it I would have worn it. I used to hate all that mine stuff but now I reveled in it. I giggled as I imagined a baseball or soccer uniform type shirt with Eric's last name on the back of it. If he ever bought one I was soooo stealing it.

As Eric, Pam and I walked in together we were all drawn to Belinda. She was staring intently at Bobby Burnham, Eric's day man, who had entered when the ball had opened to the humans. The coronation had been almost exclusively for the supernatural world. As Pam walked on ahead of us I watched Belinda move her diamond cuff bracelet that Pam had given her, as it covered the little gold heart bracelet that she always wore. I then saw Bobby, move away from a striking woman and equally handsome man, undo his tie and pull the same charm from underneath his shirt. Belinda moved toward him slowly looking up and then down as tears filled her eyes. He pulled her into his arms and she whispered,

"Robby…"

**A/N: Okay boys and girls pay attention we are giving out info this chappy and next that will help in the round up of this story. We are getting close to the end before moving on to "A Wedding to Remember" not to mention "Learn by Heart – a honeymoon to Remember" Or we will see how that goes so don't forget to Author Alert me if you want to read those too. **


	30. Chapter 30 Remember This as Your First

Chapter 30 – Remember this as your First

A/N: You need to be reading my content editor's, **kjwrit,** story The Northman Identity it's sooooo good! I also want to thank my editor **sassyvampmama **for all her hard work and words of encouragement. To my baby minions for all the feedback and notes, I love ya!** ***Some of this was not planned or in the outline so everyone hold on to your tissues.***** HUGS Mama Minion

_**LAST TIME: SPOV (Eric and Sookie took the throne after finding out Felipe DeCastro was from Sookie's biological blood line and Sookie and Eric took a little moment for themselves before the ball…and then..)**_

"**I love you Sookie." He whispered as if he spoke any louder it would break spell that was surrounding us.**

"**I love you too baby. You owe me snuggle time, but I know you are good for it." I giggled as I continued, "Can you send out a call to Pam? I am going to need her help to get 'patched' back up." I requested.**

**I was in the bathroom for maybe 5 minutes when Pam appeared and in true Pam fashion said,**

"**Eric! For the love of GOD! Do you have any idea how long that hair and makeup took? You just had to whip it out didn't you? Well you stay away from her until I get her back down stairs…go plunder something else." She barked, he laughed, I giggled but she was NOT amused.**

**Soon I was back together and on my way downstairs and much to my Vikings liking I did not shower so that his scent would be all over me. The old Sookie would have hated that but I loved and it made me feel safe in a room full of mostly strange vampires. I wanted them all to know exactly who this little 'faery' belonged to. I was property of Eric Northman and proud of it. If I had had a t-shirt that said it I would have worn it. I used to hate all that mine stuff but now I reveled in it.**

**As Eric, Pam and I walked in together we were all drawn to Belinda. She was staring intently at Bobby Burman, Eric day man, who had entered when the ball had opened to the humans. The coronation had been almost exclusively for the supernatural world. As Pam walked on ahead of us I watched Belinda move her diamond cuff bracelet that Pam had given her, as it covered her little gold heart bracelet that she always wore. I then saw Bobby, move away from a striking woman and equally handsome man, undo his tie and pull the same charm from underneath his shirt. Belinda moved toward him slowly looking up and then down as tears filled her eyes. He pulled her into his arms and she whispered,**

"**Robby…"**

**EPOV**

We all stood there not really knowing what to say or do as Belinda wept in Bobby's arms. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Belinda's Robby, from her childhood was indeed Bobby Burnham, my day man. _'Well shit, I hope he has his living arrangements in order'_, I thought. Of course, that is when Sookie took a moment to check in with me. After she mentally chastised me, she advised me telepathically that the beautiful woman and handsome man to my right were Evelyn and Jonathan, or Evie and Jon as Bobby called them, Bobby's girlfriend and boyfriend.

'_Well he got the better end of that deal.' _I sent Sookie.

She grinned but chastised me again with a quick, 'B_e nice!' _but her giggling did not help her position.

I decided to step forward and help a very awkward feeling Pam. She couldn't decide if she should step into comfort Belinda or not, so I stepped forward and offered Belinda my handkerchief. Sookie raised an eyebrow at its appearance and I sent her a mental note.

'_Yes, I carry a handkerchief; I am married to a woman who cries at the drop of a hat, it cut down on my dry cleaning cost.' _I smirked.

She smiled as I turned back to our little angel. I knew that no one outside our little circle understood our love of Belinda as I barely understood it myself, but I knew one thing in that moment, and set myself to that task; Operation Make Belinda Smile.

"Little one, is this 'your' Robby?" I asked very softly as to not scare her. In moments like these Belinda was very easily pulled into her past of abuse and pain.

"Yes." She sniffled out as she smiled at me while she clung to him and him to her. Her lips opened as she looked at him but before she could speak he did,

"Where did you go? I looked for you everywhere B and you were just gone." He had released her long enough to ask her the question but I could tell he really wanted to pull her back into his embrace.

"They moved me from our home to a foster home and…I had to run away." Her voice trailed off at the end as she reached her hand behind her for Pam. Sookie and I both had noticed her tendency to need to hold onto Pam when she spoke of that horrible time in her life. It was as if she thought her nightmares could come back from the dark past and take her if she did not have hold of Pam.

"Son of bit… I knew that bastard lied to me when I went to that house. I could see it in his eyes when I showed him your picture. I knew it!" I gathered from his angry ramble that he had searched for Belinda and went to the foster home where she had been abused. Bobby looked around and whispered into her ear,

"I love you B. You are still my little sister, if you tell me you're in trouble and you need me, I will carry you out of here myself. Are you alright?" He was ready to protect her even though he was in a room full of vampires. He was ready to do whatever it took to secure her safety and make sure she was happy. I had always liked Bobby and I trusted him, but in this moment I admired him. He looked carefully at me as if to see if I would help or hinder him and before I could speak Belinda did,

"Yes, I am wonderful. My family found me… my daddy really was looking for me. I have my grandparents and great-great grandparents, I have this huge family now, just like we always dreamed about and I have my Pam." She beamed as she pulled Pam up beside her. Bobby of course knew Pam and she him. There was no love loss in that relationship. She was jealous of his ability to do things for me that she could not and he was jealous that I confided in her and never him. I smiled and waited to see how this was going to play out.

"Hello bloodb…Bobby," she smiled my trademark smirk at him.

"Hello Pamela." he said snidely.

"Don't call me Pamela. No one calls me that but Eric." She bowed up at him. I thought I would have to intervene, but Belinda was getting used to 'handling' Pam so it was she who spoke up.

"Alright children, that is enough. I realize you two have some history, but Pam, Robby is who kept me safe when I was abandoned, young, and scared. He is my brother and I love him." She then turned to a smiling Bobby who lost his haughty look as she spoke, "Robby, some one really bad was hurting me and she saved me. Pam is the one who kept me safe while you could not. She is my bonded and I love her."

You could hear a pin drop and Bobby pulled Belinda to him and said,

"I'm sorry I broke my promise. I failed you." I knew that feeling well myself. I watched Sookie's eyes cloud over with emotion for both of them as Belinda spoke,

"You were a kid and there was no way you could have known I would have been moved. There is also no way you could have known I would be placed with a monster like that. I know you would have saved me if you could and knowing you were out there and that you loved me gave me the courage to run. I lost my way for a little while and stopped believing in my own self worth, but I'm better now. My life is good now. Is your life good now?"

"Yes." He turned to Evelyn and Jonathan who stood together quietly observing the unexpected reunion. "I have people who love me and I love them. This is Evie and Jon, my…family." He smiled and there was a small moment of meet and greet. I, however, wanted to dance with my wife so as they all got better acquainted I took Sookie by her hand and said,

"The Queen and I need to get on to the dance floor so the rest of the guests can begin to dance." Sookie hugged Belinda and smiled to the rest of the group as she followed me to the dance floor where she melded herself into my embrace.

As we began to dance I looked at my wife, I mean I really looked at her. She was so young, so fragile and in many ways still so innocent. I had lived and done so much even before I was turned. By the time I was her age I had been a leader, warrior, father and explorer, but the farthest she had ever been away from her home was when I forced her to go to Dallas. I shuddered at the memory of finding her on that sidewalk bleeding and limping. Compton had been unable to track her and that was the moment I decided I had to get my blood inside her so I could find her if she were ever in trouble again. Perhaps I had loved her since Dallas, I thought absently. She looked up into my eyes and smiled as she probed the bond to see where I had gone. I smiled at her pleased that she knew me so well.

"I love you. You should have taken my blood in Dallas when you were injured. So stubborn…"

"Where did that come from?" she asked but I did not really answer her. I just went for broke as I spoke,

"Sookie, I lived such a full life before I was turned and I want the same for you. Please don't feel like you have to rush your decision to let me turn you. Just promise me that if you are injured I can turn you but other than that we will wait until you are absolutely sure you're ready."

"I don't know what brought this on, but I gladly accept your proposal. I love you Eric Northman, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me." We danced in silence for a moment until my Sookie looked up at me and out of the blue asked me,

"Are you Leif Erickson?" She was perfectly serious and I laughed out loud.

"No little one, what brought that on?" I asked as I tried to contain my laughter as to not upset my delicate Queen.

"Well you made me think about our trip to Dallas and you went by Leif while we were there. Your name now is Eric and you are over a 1000 years old, you were an explorer and sailor…I guess the description just kinda fit." She babbled.

"Well, little one to be honest I know a little of his life. He was from Iceland not Sweden. He was born around the time I was turned or perhaps sometime after. His father was Erik the Red, now he was from western Norway and had a history of being… how would you say…mmm he had a shady past. His father's father was also a known outlaw. I don't know much of his mother, only that she was a native of Iceland."

"How do you know all that? Did you read it or know him?" she asked me. Sookie loved my stories, but she loved them more when they were personal accounts and not just from all the books that I had read over the centuries. Her favorite stories were the ones that I had lived.

"I met him once, long ago as Ocella was an explorer himself. My maker liked stories and people who could tell good ones. He had an interest in him so he taught me of his history." I tried to explain. I know she thought of Ocella as only my torturer, but there had been times, however brief, that he had taught, loved and protected me. He was cruel by nature, but by the gods I had wanted him to love me and when he did, however brief, it gave me solace.

**SPOV**

I knew where Eric was and what he was thinking. I knew, since I was abused myself, that you don't always stop loving someone just because they hurt you. When I was little part of my shame was that I still loved Uncle Bartlett even after he abused me. Sometimes the heart and the way you felt is hard to understand.

"Eric, it's okay that you loved him. I loved Uncle Bartlett too. It used to make me so ashamed that I loved someone that hurt me and wanted him to love me without the abuse. I loved Bill too even after Jackson. I almost forgave him and I never thought I could forgive a man that raped me…" I felt Eric tense… Oh shit…

"What did you say?" he pulled away from me and looked into my eyes.

"Outside, take me outside?" I begged him and he took me out onto the balcony so we could be alone. I had decided to never mention this to anyone, much less Eric.

His eyes were full of murderous rage as they cut towards Bill from where we stood by the balcony door. He was deciding whether or not to listen to me or to kill Bill where he stood. I had forgiven Bill long ago of so many things and I did not want to see him dead. On some level I would always love Bill even if I was no longer in love with him. I touched Eric's face and whispered,

"I need my husband to take me outside, please." I watched Pam and Belinda spin around from where they stood to look at us. They could feel the turmoil in the bond. I wasn't sure if Eric was 'talking' to Pam or not but they held their ground and didn't follow us, no one did. We left the dance floor without a sound.

Eric looked at me as he reached his hand out to touch my hair and said,

"Tell me at your own pace, I am not going anywhere." He coaxed as he sat us down onto the patio couch, it was just like the one I wanted to get for our deck at home, I thought absently. I would have given anything to not have to do this, to not have to relive the memory of Bill taking me in that car trunk.

"You had given me your blood so I could save Bill. I went to the room in the garage where Bubba had seen him the night before and I found him. He was totally out of it. He thought he was dreaming when he saw me and didn't think I was real. Lorena came in and she and I fought. If it hadn't been daytime she would have killed me, but I was able to get the upper hand and I staked her. I put her in the pool under the pool cover before she could evaporate. I got Bill into the trunk of the car and drove to Alcide's apartment garage." I paused in retelling the story and took a deep breath, Eric had already known those details, but he wouldn't know all the facts from that night until now. He looked at me as if to say 'Yes darling I know all of that' as he stroked my arms. I had to work my way into the worst part of the story and he seemed to understand and he clung to me as I continued,

"I went to check on Bill in the trunk and to make sure he could find the bottles of blood but someone pushed me into the trunk with him. I think it was Debbie Pelt, anyway, when he woke up he attacked me… the blood lust… and he just … took me… I begged him not to … I cried and fought but he didn't hear me and I couldn't get away… then suddenly he let me go and he was taking care of me telling me how sorry he was. Then you were there and I knew I was safe so I just passed out and I never told a soul." I shook with the memory still fresh in my head and pushed into Eric even closer.

"You begged him to stop and he did not?" His voice was steel and ice.

"Yes, but Eric he had been tortured for days. He was damn near drained and he wasn't in his right mind and as soon as he was he stopped." I tried to reason.

"The bruises, the ones on your face and arms when I got you out of the trunk… the blood under you nails…the reason you looked afraid of him in the apartment… the reason you had me drive you home…" he paused as if the puzzle had come together before continuing,

"Sookie, I should have been holding you that night. You should have been loved and comforted. I should have taken you home with me, not back to you house to be beaten yet again…damn it… How many times have I failed you?"

"Eric, I just wanted to go home that night. There was no way you could have known Bill had hurt me or that there were assassins at my house waiting to kill me." I tried to comfort.

"No, but at the gas station…after we were attacked I should have taken you to my home then. It was closer and you would have been safe and not had to see him. MY GOD, he sat there and combed and brushed your hair like nothing happened… he raped you and then acted like nothing happened." He said a little louder than I expected so I jumped a little.

"So did Uncle Bartlett. He would abuse me and then take me for ice cream and I acted like nothing had happened as well. I… I just didn't want to be a victim again so I pushed it away and didn't deal with it." Eric sat there holding me for a long time. I stroked his hair and he mine. No one came out to check on us although I did see and feel him communicate with Pam through the bond once but I can't say that I know what he said to her. We sat in silence until Eric moved and I felt sudden realization through the bond. I looked up into his eyes as he spoke to me in a low voice that was so gentle and full of worry.

"So the first time you had had sex after he raped you was when we… when I… the shower…" He gasped as he pulled me even tighter to his chest, "…was I gentle enough? Were you afraid? Did I take good enough care of you? If I had known Lover, if I had known…." He was shaking while rocking me gently. I nodded to let him know he was perfect that night but I wasn't able to answer his questions verbally as he then looked up to the sky and yelled,

"When is it ENOUGH? When has she paid ENOUGH? What has she ever done to deserve the hand you have dealt her? She is GOOD and KIND… NO MORE…NO MORE…If you want a fight you bring it to ME from now on and leave her alone… her price is paid. She has paid enough." I could feel his heart breaking for me and I cried. I cried for me, I cried for him and the fact that I had never told a soul that I had been raped; half out of fear and half out of shame or maybe it was just denial. If I didn't say it out loud it didn't really happen. When I was finally able to gather myself I whispered,

"Please don't kill Bill. It wasn't his fault and I killed both of the bitches whose fault it was so it is over for me. I forgave Bill a long time ago and I need you to do the same. If you can't do it on your own, do it for me, please?" I paused and before he could answer me I asked one more favor of him, "Eric, please take me home. I want to go home and I want you to make love to me."

"Lover, we will tell everyone good night and of course we will go home. I love you, my sweet love." He looked at me as if I was the only girl in the world and made me feel his love for me, both through our bond and by the look in his eyes. In that moment even without the bond there would have been no way not to know he loved me. He was looking at me the way a man looks at the woman he loves and it was a look I would never forget.

When we walked back inside there was no big reaction. The party had gone on and everyone was dancing. I waited with baited breath knowing that Eric was scanning the room for Bill. I put my hand on his arm and felt Belinda and Pam approach us, but before I could speak Eric did,

"Your mistress is tired; I'm taking her home." Pam looked at my red eyes and Eric's tear stained face as she said,

"What has happened?" She touched my cheek so lovingly it surprised me. Normally Pam would not touch me unless we were alone. She pulled me to her and hugged me as Belinda stroked my arm and reached to hold Eric's hand.

"She is tired. We will go. Handle all of this for us." He used his 'maker' tone with her and as her eyes went wide as they cut to where Bill stood and she went to one knee and said,

"Of course Master. I will do what needs to be done." The way she said it made me shiver.

"NO! Eric, that counts too… Promise me that not only will you not kill him but not a hand that you command will either and you're not to send him off somewhere either. I forgave him and you have to deal with that. He raped me not you…." And with that I slapped my own hand over my mouth as I felt the tears start and my family started to make their way to me from around the room.

Before I could register what happened, Bill was before us as he spoke softly,

"I have been ready to pay the price for my attack on her for quite some time. I am ready to meet my final death. She has forgiven me and that is more than a monster like me I deserves." He bowed in front of me and I wanted to be mad. I wanted to feel anger but all I could feel was pity. He had lost everything, me, Lorena, his own standing in the vampire world not to mention his own self worth.

Everyone was ready to take off his head but I stepped forward and put my arms around him as I pulled him upright saying to those gathered around us,

"This man harmed me, but he has saved me and protected me since. I believe in him and he has paid his due. He owes me no more. He is my servant and my protector, so anyone, other than my King, that raises a hand against him can consider themselves my friend no more." I said in my Faery princess/Vampire Queen voice and then with that I turned to Eric.

"My King, I know it is your right to defend my honor and kill him for what he has done, but I implore you as your Queen and wife to accept my decision to let this slight go." I then did as I had done before to show my honor or Eric as my King. I kneeled before him and awaited his decision. As he pulled me up and to his side he spoke,

"Compton, you live, but you do so in Bon Temps unless I send for you. You are no longer welcome in my home or at my business and if you ever fall out of favor with her it will be your final night, so when you are called upon, you will serve your mistress well." He growled out and with that Bill bowed to me and left.

Belinda kissed my cheek and Pam muttered "douche bag" under her breath before she turned to hold me. Laurell pulled me to her as well and whispered,

"You are a true Queen. You handled yourself with grace and elegance in the face of adversity. I am so proud of you. I know that Adele is proud of you as well." The mention of Gran's name nearly did me in and I wanted to cry. I wanted to curl up in a ball and cry my eyes out, but I smiled my crazy Sookie smile instead and went about telling my family goodnight.

Sven and Livy were to stay in New Orleans for the evening, as were Pam and Belinda. Bobby and his family were staying as well. Belinda was looking forward to spending the day in New Orleans with Bobby, Evie and Jonathan and later popping everyone home tomorrow night, except for Jonathan who would be driving the car home. I still couldn't get a good read on either of them. Jonathan was a shifter I gathered just from how cloudy his mind happened to be and I thought perhaps that Evelyn wasn't from the United States originally. Her thoughts were not in English, but instead some strange language that I'd never heard before making me wonder about her nationality. I knew she was some hotshot Vampire dentist, of all things, but that was pretty much the extent of my knowledge of her.

Laurell, Marcus, Lillianna and Alexander were preparing to drive back to Shreveport tomorrow night. They were leaving for Europe in two weeks time so we were all going to have as many family dinners together as we could between now and then. Jason was to ride home with the family tomorrow as well. Christean and Thalia were driving back to Thalia's condo on the outskirts of the French Quarter and then they too would come back home.

Felipe and Constance promised to come to the house tomorrow night for their first family dinner. I was excited to talk to him more about momma and her side of the family. Bubba was going home with Russell and seemed very excited about that. Stan just wanted to get back to Dallas and to Isabelle. I was shocked to find out after she got over the betrayal of her human, Hugo, she had sworn off humans as lovers. Stan and she just sorta fell into bed together one night and before either one of them knew what had happened, they were in love.

Eric had been cordial to everyone while we stood and spoke with just the family at the end of the night. Once we had the bags packed we left them for the cars that Laurell and the family would come home in tomorrow night. I wrapped my arms around Eric's waist and I popped us home. It was odd being there with no one else because the house seemed too quiet and just then I saw our babies. They were crawling on the deck and I ran outside in a panic.

"They shouldn't be out there… they could drown… in… the… pool…" I realized with great embarrassment that I was delusional again but Eric had caught up to me as he said,

"Who was giggling out here?"

"You heard them? Did you see them?"

"No but I heard something… teacup humans. I heard little ones." His voice was dreamy as if he was wishing them into reality.

"It was our babies. They were playing out here on the deck. Maybe you just picked up on what was in my head. I just don't know anymore Eric. I just don't know." I felt defeated and somehow alone.

"You are not alone Sookie. I am with you. I am always with you."

"Love me, please." Was all I said as he swept me up into his arms and started down to our resting chamber.

He brushed my hair out of my face since it was falling out the 'up-do' that Pam had fixed for me and asked me the most curious question,

"Bill was your first?"

"Yes."

"Was he good to you that night?"

"Yes. He did good by me." I said not wanting to get into the discussion.

"So, your first time then, he was gentle?"

"Eric, why does it matter what happened or how it happened? I really don't want to think about Bill right now; I just want my husband to make love to me." I said so frustrated.

"It matters to me. I need to know where it hurts Sookie, so that I can fix it. So I can heal you. You have healed me so many times let me heal you."

"Gran had just died. I had cleaned out her room that day. I had just got out of the shower and my hair was still wet. He was combing my hair out for me and just comforting me. We started kissing and it just happened. He didn't know I was a virgin until… well you know… He was sweet though and he took his time and made sure I was alright. He used his blood after to help with the swelling…down there and I wasn't even sore the next day like all my girlfriends had told me I would be." I couldn't believe that I was having this conversation with Eric. I hoped by being so honest with him he would find comfort in the fact Bill had not harmed me twice.

"He used you." He said with no emotion in his voice. There was no feeling at all he was vacant.

"I wanted it too."

"You wanted to feel anything but the pain. You needed to be comforted, not used, and that is what he did; he used your personal tragedy against you. If he had any love for you he would have just held you and been there for you." He paused as if the next words pained him, "And he knew you were a virgin. He is a vampire; he can smell a virgin a mile away." He paused again,

"Did he feed from you while he took you the first time?"

"Yes, but I asked him to. I wanted to feel close to him." I whispered and he gritted his teeth as his fangs clicked down.

"Like I said, you just wanted to feel comfort; solace. He used you and I must warn you now I may not be able to keep my promise. I want to drain him dry." Still there was no emotion, no feeling in his voice. He was going into that dark place that only I could bring him back from. With tears in my eyes I begged,

"Eric I have asked you three times now please… please make love to me. Make the pain stop, please…" He looked at me like he just realized I was in the room with him.

"Lover, come. Let me show you what our love can do. Let me show you what it can heal. Yield to me Sookie, really yield to me. Come into my eyes and trust me." I knew what he wanted and God help me I wanted to let him do it.

"Just make love to me baby. Lets deal with the rest later." With that he kissed me but I kept my eyes closed, not trusting myself to look in his eyes. How wonderful would it be to let him take away all the memories that pained me but then I would not appreciate what I had now.

"Eric, you can't fix me that way, but you can love me now and I know that will heal me. Love me baby, love me." That was all I had to say for him to understand that I needed to keep the bad memories, but that did not mean he couldn't fix the broken pieces that had been left behind.

He undressed me and took me to the bathroom where he bathed and washed me until I was so relaxed I thought I would turn into a noodle. He then lifted me out of the tub and dried me before setting me on the counter while he dried his own beautiful body. I wanted him so damn bad and as I became wet with my desire, his eyes snapped up to mine and his fangs dropped down. I felt mine start to elongate as well.

"You need me wife? You desire my body and my blood?

"Yes." I said as he carried me to the bedroom and laid me on our bed.

"Will you let me worship you? Let me show you how precious you are?" he asked me but I could not form anymore words so I only nodded my reply. He began to kiss down my body to my hot, wet core, moving his mouth up and down me as he whispered,

"I love you so much. You are my everything; so precious, so wonderful, my love, my wife." He lavished my nipples with long kisses and would pull just a little at the end of each kiss. He then started back down my body as he pulled two pillows from somewhere to put under my hips and he once again whispered to me,

"Are you alright? Is this okay? Can you feel how much I love you?" I was still unable to speak so I nodded as he began once again to lick my throbbing nub. He would take his thumbs to spread me apart to look at my core and then he would plant sweet kisses directly on the throbbing little bundle of nerves. Then almost painfully, he would suck it into his mouth causing me to gasp and scream. I would come for him and then he would start the whole process over again. I was finally able to speak and begged,

"I want to pleasure you... kiss you too…. Ah…"

"Lover this is about me pleasing you… you don't have to…"

"It does please me. It makes me so wet when you moan for me." It was what I needed to feel some sort of control and power. So with that request he let go of me and I licked up and down his hard length. He moaned as I sucked him off. He talked dirty to me because he knew how much I liked it but he was so gentle with the way he stroked my hair. He did not come in my mouth but instead he pulled me back up his body right when his will power broke and laid me down on my back. It was like he let me have my fun and was now back to worshipping me.

And worship me he did. He was so gentle and loving with every touch, giving me nothing but pleasure in the way he loved me. He was back between my legs and I was convulsing beneath him when he finally climbed up the length of my body and whispered,

"Now my Lover, are you ready for me now?"

"Yes… oh please yes." I moaned and smiled at him as he entered me.

"Look at me Lover, look at me and believe me, this is how I would have made love to you Sookie. Had it been me, if I had been your first this is what it would have been like. I want you to remember this moment Lover, remember me. _Remember, this time with me as your first time with a man_." I had never loved him more he was my world and I was his.

He gently thrust into me very slowly letting me adjust to his size before he started rocking his hips and I met him with every gentle push of his body. They were gentle sweet thrusts that made my whole body tingle. He kissed my neck and I longed to taste him so when I could no longer resist the temptation, I sank my teeth into his neck and listened to him moan while I fed. He made no move to bite me back, but his hips picked up speed as I drank my fill.

"Oh Sookie, yes, drink me Lover, drink me." in that moment he was willing to let me drain him; giving himself to me completely in that instant and I wanted nothing more than to do the same for him. Just when the words "turn me" were about to fall from my lips I heard our children laugh and I only said,

"I love you Eric! I love you. I promise I am yours forever."

"I love you Sookie, I love you so much."

And as we came to our moments together I felt tears of joy falling down my face. We lay in each other's arms and for once I was not the first to speak, it was Eric.

"Sookie, I saw them."

**A/N: I hope you loved the romp… we are getting there boys and girls! Momma Minion loves you! I always wanted CH to address the fact that Sookie was raped and she NEVER did so now I did. There was a tiny shout out /homage to my girl teacup human... sis ya catch it? :) HUGS, Momma Minion**


	31. Chapter 31  Wonderful

Chapter 31 – Wonderful

A/N: I own nothing, CH owns it all. I do however own Marcus, Laurell, Lillianna and Alexander so please don't take them out of my sandbox. I will cry! I hope FF lets me post. I have heard horror stories this week. I hope FF lets me update... I am hearing horror stories... please know I tried to update on time! HUGS, Momma Minion!

**LAST TIME: SPOV (Sookie finally admitted to herself that she had been raped by Bill in Jackson. Eric asked her to let him glamour to forget but she decided to keep the bad memories so she would appreciate the love she has now and then…)**

"**Look at me Lover, look at me and believe me, this is how I would have made love to you Sookie. Had it been me, if I had been your first this is what it would have been like. I want you to remember this moment Lover, remember me, **_**remember us**_**. **_**Remember, this time with me as your first time with a man**_**." I had never loved him more he was my world and I was his.**

**He rocked his hips and I met him. They were gentle sweet thrust that made my whole body tingle. He kissed my neck and I longed to taste him. I sank my teeth into his neck and listened to him moan while I fed. He made no move to bite me back, but his hips picked up sped as I drank. **

"**Oh Sookie, yes, drink me Lover, drink me." in that moment he was willing to let me drain him. He gave himself to me totally in that moment and I wanted nothing more than to do the same for him but then just when the words "turn me" were about to fall from my lips I heard our children laugh and I only said**

"**I love you Eric! I love you. I promise I am yours forever." **

"**I love you Sookie, I love you so much."**

**And as we came to our moments together I felt tears of joy falling down my face. We lay in each other's arms and for once I was not the first to speak it was Eric.**

"**Sookie, I saw them."**

**EPOV**

Perhaps I was going insane too, but just as Sookie sank her teeth in my neck I saw a bassinet sitting beside our bed. I could hear the cooing of babies and as I whispered 'I love you' to my beloved wife, I saw two little blonde babies sitting up in the bassinet laughing at each other. I quickly double checked the bond to see if I had slipped into her mind, but I had not. Our shields were intact, I was in my mind and she in hers. I looked down into her eyes and whispered,

"Sookie, I saw them." I paused for a moment, "I saw our babies. They were just as you described. A baby in blue and one in pink…my eyes and your nose…" I didn't know what else to say, but I did add, "I wanted to hold them…I felt like I needed to get up, get them out of their bed and hold them." I was at a loss as she held me tighter while I struggled to make sense of what I was seeing and feeling.

"I know, the first time I saw them it was hard on me too. I wanted to hold them so much and then they were just gone." She said with longing in her voice.

"We will find them Lover. We will hold what is ours and they are ours. I felt it. It was undeniable. The boy looked just like Johan and the girl like Aunna, except for the nose and their little chins. They have your nose and your chin, your strong little chin." I muttered with confidence that I had found from somewhere within myself.

"Eric, what if they are trapped somewhere. Like their little souls are stuck in limbo because we don't know how to get them here?" she almost sobbed.

"We will find a way Sookie. We will have our family, we will find them." I promised and she seemed somewhat better. She snuggled against me and sat in silence until she could stand it no longer.

"Eric, I can't remember being ever being with Bill or what Uncle Bartlett did to me. I mean I know they hurt me and did unspeakable harm to me, but …did you glamour me or heal me?" She asked.

"I didn't glamour you. I wanted to, but I knew I would not be able to stop at the one bad memory I would've taken them all and that would've altered who you are. I knew you were right so I could not glamour you into forgetting, but I did heal the spots on your heart that I saw hurt." I confessed.

"I love you Eric. I want to talk to the family tomorrow night about the babies. I want to be open and talk to everyone at once. Niall, Marcus, Laurell are all older so I think they will be our best bet for information about CJ and Adele." It was not lost on me that she used the names for the babies she had told me long ago.

"Of course Lover, however you want to handle this." I cooed and stroked her back as I held her tight. She was so emotional and I knew it had been a hell of a night on her so I asked, "Lover, please stay here tomorrow, will you stay close to me and be here when I rise?"

"Yes. I can work from your office here. Eric, can I buy a desk and put it on the other side of your office. Your desk is just so big. I feel like a little kid sitting at the 'grown-up's' table." She babbled and I, of course, told her,

"You may do whatever you like in there. What if we have a desk commissioned that would match mine but be built to your size? I had that desk built for me Lover; that is why it is so big." I smirked when I said it and she blushed and giggled a little. Truth be known I was tired of hitting my knees on desks my entire existence so I had one built to suit me.

"Eric, you are so good to me. Do you realize I don't think there has ever been anything I have ever asked you for that you have said 'no' to?" she smiled guiltily as she whispered, "I really don't think I deserve you sometimes but I love you and I will try to be less stubborn."

"Sookie, it is I who does not deserve you. You are so good, kind, honest and true. Even when you were scared of me you did right by me. You have never lied to me or withheld the truth. You have never let me down, or left me, or lead me into danger. I will spend the rest of our existence making sure you never want for anything, and I promise that you will feel loved every night of our forever." It was close to dawn but it did not matter to me, I had to have her again.

"Sookie, I need you once more, my love." I kissed down her neck gently, slowly, reverently, as she panted and moved closer to me. I rolled to my back and placed her on top of me, reached between her lovely legs and rubbed her sweet little swollen hood as she moaned out my name.

"Eric… oh yes…please…" Her breath was raspy and her breasts were in tight buds of arousal as I felt her dampness on my hardened length. She teased me and herself with light strokes before she began to push down harder on me; it was heaven. I loved how wet she would get for me and her sweet scent was almost more than I could bear. I was at the point where I could stand no more, so I did something that Eric Northman normally does not do; I begged.

"Please Sookie, now, I need inside you right now!" She complied with my desperate plea and slid her warm body down my length until she engulfed me. I bucked my hips each time she came down on me. I knew that the dawn was only moments away so I set myself to the task at hand of making her satisfied. I bucked harder and she screamed out in pleasure as she leaned forward and rocked her hips at a frantic pace. She grabbed the headboard for balance and support as she used it to help her ride me and bring herself to a wonderful completion. She was a goddess. I pulled her down on top of me and whispered,

"The dawn is about to take me Love; know that I love you and if I could stay the day with you I would. I love you. I love you… I love…"

**SPOV**

And as my Viking whispered how much he loved me I knew the sun had risen when his words stopped in the middle of his declaration. He was still inside me and I continued to snuggle on top of him as I fell asleep. No matter how romantic it sounds to fall asleep with your lover inside you, let me tell you when you wake up, not so much. We were both sticky and gross. I pulled myself from Eric and went to the bathroom to take care of my human needs; quickly cleaned myself and then wet a towel with warm water to take care of Eric. He would not be happy when he woke without my scent on him, but I just could not leave him there all day covered in our bodily fluids. I wiped his skin gently with the wet towel and even though I knew it did not have to be warm, I smiled at the thought of caring for him in this way.

I then took a nice, long, luxurious shower and after dressing, I prepared to go upstairs to eat breakfast before doing some work in Eric's office. Before leaving our room I walked to the bed and kissed my husband as I whispered,

"I love you baby. I will be back before you rise…I love you." I knew I needed to, at the very least go check our emails even though Felicia was supposed to be taking care of Fangtasia, but I was having a hard time getting back out of bed once I sat down on it to kiss Eric.

I also knew that I had to check in on some State business that I was taking over for Eric. Belinda had brought to our attention that before Ginger had passed away, she had lived with a vampire for 10 years who suddenly met their final death leaving Ginger with no way to care for herself. The Vampire had done everything for her, but he had not left a will or anything in her name. That was how she came to work at Fangtasia, not because she was the fangbanger we all thought she was, but because vampires were all she knew and she could not get work elsewhere due to having no prior work experience.

So our idea was that all the vampires of our state would now be required to register their humans as a sort of fail safe. They could register their humans under the following categories; pet, companion, bonded and pledged. That way, if something happened to the vampire and that vampire had taken care of the human financially, the human had a way of filing a claim against their estate. Eric mentioned that he would be claiming me as his Pledged, but that it did not really matter since all of his holdings had my name on them. Eric explained it was like how parents claim children as their dependents on taxes, and that it was not the same as claiming their humans as property, but I still was not sure what I thought of it. I guess if it helped someone financially while they were overcoming the pain of losing someone they loved I couldn't really complain.

Well, now with that being taken into consideration, and even though Belinda had her own money, Pam was my first filing. Should anything happen to Pam, her Fangtasia shares, home and bank accounts would go to Belinda, except for some money that Eric had loaned her back when she, Eric and Longshadow opened the bar. Right now, as far as Fangtasia was concerned, it belonged to Eric, me and Pam but she wanted to leave Belinda something tangible should she met her final death. I did not want to be present when Pam gave the papers to Belinda, however, because it was not going to be pretty. Our sweet little angel was coming 'into her own', and was no longer our timid little mouse. She was still our darling, but much to our surprise, she had a little temper to rival Eric's when she was pushed to her limit. I hated the thought of filing this paperwork. The very thought of losing Pam made me ache all the way to my very soul. I loved her so much.

She had asked me once when she was in pain if I really would do anything for her and I knew in my heart of hearts that I would. I would die for her, Belinda or Eric. They were my little nest, and while I had heard other vampires say the word before at the time I thought of it as a negative, but in the world I lived now it meant everything to me. I also included Laurell, Marcus, Lillianna, Alexander, Sven, and Livy. They were all so easy to love. I loved my Viking above all others, but Pam and Belinda where a close second followed by the others. The feelings of love I had for my family had me leaning down to kiss Eric again.

"I love you. I can't ever live without you, Pam or Belinda. We have to do whatever it takes to always be together. I want to see you hold our babies. I want to see how Pam reacts when they spit up on her and can you imagine how happy Belinda will be to be an aunt? We will have the best dressed babies in the entire state." I felt silly sitting there talking to him while he could not respond, but it gave me a sense of peace. I kissed him again and grudgingly pulled myself from bed before heading to the office to work.

I checked the emails and phone messages finding I had one from Hadley concerning Remy and Hunter. I opened it and was surprised to see that Remy had asked for me to call them as soon as possible. I had a feeling I knew what this was about so I wrote down the number and planned to call after I did some paperwork. I had so many cards of congratulation about the coronation and my pledging to Eric to go through. Most of the names I did not recognize, but one stood out from the rest, Sam Merlotte. It was a sweet note telling me he wished he could be at the coronation but that he just could not close the bar to make it down. He wished me luck and asked for me to visit soon. I thought I could probably stop by Merlotte's on my way to Red Ditch since I had a feeling I would be traveling there soon. That way I could come back through Bon Temps and check on Gran's house on the way home. Alcide would be starting the addition soon and then it hit me,

"I didn't call it home…. I called here home… home is wherever Eric Northman is… Eric is my home. He is my truth, my light, my home. Eric is my power….well shit…" I babbled to myself. I was not sure what I just figured out, but I was pretty sure it was epic.

I thought about Eric and the fact that Lillianna could wake Alexander with her light during the day if she needed him. I would have to play with that later too, I thought to myself. I made calls, sent emails and suddenly craved Mexican food so I went to look for some left over enchiladas that I remembered Pam making for Belinda night before last. I quickly ate before going back to the office to call Remy and see what was going on with Hunter.

"Hi is Remy Savoy available?" I asked using the manners that Gran taught me.

"This is he, Sookie? Sookie Stackhouse?" he asked almost frantically.

"Well yes, but its Northman now, Sookie Northman. I received your message but we were out of town and this was my first chance to call. Is everything okay?" I asked with worry.

"Well, I'm not sure. Hunter…well he sort of announced to his Preschool class today that his teacher was going to have a baby."

"Oh well that's not bad…"

"She didn't tell him… he's like you… Hadley said he might… be like you. He is really upset. The teacher was taken aback and she fussed at him for telling. She just found out and didn't even know how she felt about it… her husband didn't even know yet. It freaked her out and he 'heard' it all in her head…"

"I know how hard it is on him. Do you want me to drive out there tomorrow and look in on you guys?"

"I was hoping you might come out today?" he begged.

"I'm sorry, but I just can't do it today. I promised my husband I would stay home today."

"I can appreciate that Mrs. Northman, but he is really upset."

"First off, call me Sookie and maybe you could come here? We are having a family dinner tonight and I would love for Hunter to meet some of his extended family. He would be perfectly safe not to mention that there will be a man who is going to be here that my telepathy actually comes from and he could probably help a whole lot more than I could alone. I mean, I can help him learn how to shield and how to know when he is hearing someone's thoughts, but Felipe can answer all of the 'who, what, when, where, why and how' questions that I think we both have. I mean it doesn't explain why Hunter is a telepath since he is not kin to my mom, but maybe Felipe will have the answers that we don't have right now." I ran out of breath I said it all so fast.

"I would not want to impose."

"You wouldn't be, and I really want to meet little Hunter. Can I talk to him on the phone?"

"Sure, hold on." He said with relief in his voice.

"Hello?" his little voice was raspy from crying and it made my heart hurt just a little.

"Hey sweetheart, I am your Aunt Sookie. Me and your momma were real close when we were little and I can't wait to meet you. I am gonna help you with your gift. You and your daddy are gonna come over for dinner tonight and we will figure everything out. You will feel better before the night is over. I promise, alright?"

"Okay, Aunt Sookie. I'll see you tonight." He said so softly I almost didn't hear him and with the cutest little lisp that most 3-4 year olds have. I was going to say more, but then Remy was back on the phone.

"He is actually smiling for the first time since I picked him up from school. Thanks Sookie, we will see you at dinner. Can you give me directions? We don't have a GPS in our old truck." He said with a hint of embarrassment in his voice.

"Of course." I gave Remy the directions and then went back to my paperwork.

I had just a few more things to tidy up before I went to check on Eric. I took Pam's paperwork with me downstairs to the little desk that he and Pam seemed to share in the hallway of our resting chambers. There was at least 100 yards between the two suites, but the hall was just so cute. It was like this little reading nook with the desk and Eric's Bat Phone. It was the only part of our suite that was reachable straight from the elevator. Once past the nook there was a set of large doors to your left and right. We were to the right and Pam's to the left. I set the paperwork down on the desk without giving much thought to it, but it would come back to haunt me later.

I had decided I would try my hand at waking Eric with my light so I went into our bedroom and climbed in bed on top of my beloved vampire and lit my hands. I ran them through his hair and over his face as I whispered,

"Baby, it's still daytime. Can you hear me? Can you wake up for me?" I coaxed gently.

His eyes fluttered and he made a little moaning noise. I ran my hands through his hair again and then increased the power I was using, careful to keep it reigned in as to not hurt my vampire. He drew in a breath he didn't need and opened his eyes. His beautiful blue eyes were looking into mine as he asked,

"Sookie, where are we? Why do I feel this way?"

"You aren't in any kind of pain are you? I'm trying something Lilli taught me; to wake you with my light." I said hurriedly wanting to make sure he was not in pain or uncomfortable in any way.

"No, I don't hurt. I am groggy like I have had too much ale and I feel as though I need to breathe; like I need oxygen for some reason." He gasped and I noticed that his chest was indeed heaving up and down. He struggled for a moment to get used the sensation that he had not felt in over a 1000 years. Then he asked me the kicker,

"Sookie, what is that pounding sound? It's hurting my head. It's so loud." And since I was lying on top of him I realized what was happening.

"Oh my Stars…Eric your heart is beating." What the hell was up with that?

"Am I alive?" he asked still in his sleepy lost voice.

"I don't know, Eric." I said honestly. I thought he would just wake the way Alexander always woke for Lillianna. I had no idea that this would happen.

"Kiss me Lover, kiss me." I complied and his fangs clicked down into place and he chuckled,

"Nope, still a vamp…thank the gods…" it still did not explain what was happening to him and why. I was ready to end my experiment when I noticed his body temperature was rising; he was warming up. I had always wondered what he would feel like warm to my touch. I liked it. He wasn't human warm, but he was not vampire cold either and while his heart was beating, it was not a normal heartbeat either.

He continued to kiss me and whispered,

"I want to make love to you like this Sookie. I need you like this." I complied, and tried to keep the magic at a slow steady pulse. I gladly did most of the work as he seemed groggy and unable to move as freely as he normally did in bed with me. I kissed, licked, pleased and teased him until he was panting… yes panting… what a turn on that was.

I slid down onto his rock hard length and engulfed him with my hot core but instead of feeling the normal cool of his entrance into my body, I felt his body flush and warm up even more. I rode him slowly while he touched me in that special place that was pulsing and throbbing. He looked up at me and was more awake now as I released a little more power and magic into my light as he said,

"My God Sookie, what is happening to me; to us? Oh this is…more than…anything…ever… ahh…ohhh… SOOOKIEEEE…. Ugh…" and with that he came hard. I laid down on top of his body and whispered,

"I love you so much."

"And I love you my wife. Sookie, be here when I rise we must talk of this… I feel the pull of the sun…" I was letting him go as I slowly pulled my power back and he could not fight off the pull of the sun without me.

I really had no clue what happened, but I was really glad it had even if I was really scared of what it meant. Then all the questions started pulsing through my head. Could he be killed during the day from more than a stake if I woke him? Was he really alive? Was it just my magic? Could I hurt him doing this? I tried to breathe and calm myself; not wanting my fear to wake him as it had in the past, but at least when that had happened, I had not animated him.

I snuggled into my vampire and felt a good long cry coming on, but I fought it off since I forced myself to be happy right now. Just like I had in the car on the way to that horrible orgy I thought of the good instead of the bad. For now I would be happy that I finally knew what his touch would have been like if I could have met him when he was human. I would worry tonight if Marcus and Laurell thought we should, and with that thought, I found myself cleaning my sleeping lover for the second time today.

**EPOV**

Was I dreaming? Did I remember what happened or was it a wish? I would have sworn I felt my heart beat earlier and I was breathing. Not only was I breathing; I had to breathe. I opened my eyes to find Sookie at the foot of the bed. She was staring off into the distance like she was looking at something or someone. I thought perhaps she was seeing visions of the babies, but then I saw a tear escape her beautiful blue eyes.

"Lover, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? What's wrong he asked me…" she laughed a little hiccup of a laugh that made me realize she had been crying.

"Why are you crying Sookie?"

"I didn't at first. I decided to be happy that I got to feel your heart beat, but when I woke up again I started worrying about what it would mean and I broke down." She admitted.

"Sookie, I think this will be a great advantage to us. I see no downside."

"You see no downside. Eric, you could be in danger from what I did. How do you feel now?"

"Like me, only better I feel powerful… like I have fed."

"You did, when we made love. It really was wonderful to feel you like that; warm and to be able to listen to your heartbeat was…well…wonderful… God I need a new calendar…"

"What?" I laughed at her babbling.

"Arlene buys me a "word of the day" calendar every Christmas. You know that, you've pulled the word off the calendar for me before…"

"Yes Lover, I know that, but why bring it up now?"

"Because I can't think of another word to describe how wonderful today was…" now she giggled and that made me smile.

"Magnificent, superb, amazing, fantastic, great, astonishing or splendid will any of those work for you my beautiful wife?" I smirked at her and she reached and threw her shoe at my head as she exclaimed,

"Show off! I would have a huge vocabulary too if I was 1000 years old. As old as you are, you should have more than seven synonyms." She stomped her little foot and pouted. My plan was working and she was relaxing.

"I do have more. You must remember my Lover, English is not my first language. Actually come to think of it, it's not even my second language." I smirked again and she threw the other shoe.

"You really think this is going to be alright?" she giggled as she gave in to my tactics.

"Yes Lover, I do. Now I think we should get up and start getting ready for our family dinner." I smiled as I reached out to hug her.

"Oh shoot!" she exclaimed as she looked at the time. "I have to run to Wal-Mart to buy a coloring book."

"What? Why?" I asked with some confusion.

"Oh, Remy called. There was a little problem with Hunter at school this morning so they are coming for supper with the family. I thought it would be good for the little guy to meet his faery family and since Felipe will be here he could answer some questions for us both." She answered.

"Why would Felipe have 'answers' for the boy?"

"He is a telepath like me, but he is kin to me through daddy's side of the family so I know his telepathy doesn't come from Felipe. But Felipe might have some insight into why Hunter is a telepath. Who knows, I didn't know Aunt Linda's husband; he died when I was real little so maybe it came from his side of the family." she answered.

"Are you sure the boy is a telepath?" I asked and she went to tell me what the boy had done at school today. I smiled and conceded, "Well, that just about seals it."

"Sookie, as much as I hate to suggest or even say his name, we could ask Bill to research Hunter's family tree if need be. I will leave it to you to decide. I also think Bobby could come in handy as he is very good with a computer." I offered.

"What do you know about Bobby's 'friends' Evelyn and Jonathan?"

"Not much, I have not had any interaction with them, although Bobby was on a kick for a while trying to convince me to let Evelyn clean my teeth." I growled with dissatisfaction and irritation.

"Well it could have really helped her business. You were a high profile vampire even before you became King. I just can't get a read on either one of them. I think he is shifter or Were of some kind; his thinking is all muddled and when she thinks, her thoughts are in a weird language I don't recognize." She confessed with a hint of worry before adding, "I don't think I want them here. Would it be rude to ask Belinda to not bring Bobby here if his family is with him?"

"No Lover, I think Belinda will understand besides it is YOUR house." I grinned at her and she nodded.

"I hope she didn't invite them here for family dinner tonight."

"She would not have done that without asking you or I. You know how she is…so good about running everything by us. She is always worried that she is in the way or that she will do something to upset us." I said sadly.

"I hate that her life was so bad. Sometimes I think she is just waiting for the other shoe to drop. She seems to have her good days and bad days, although she seems to be having more good than bad lately. She really is head over heels in love with our Pammy." She said with a smirk.

"You should not let her hear you call her that; you know how she despises it. She hates it almost as much as when I call her Pamela." I laughed and Sookie cracked up as well.

"What was she like as a baby vamp?"

"Horrible and I made it worse. I could not discipline her at first, I was afraid to hurt her. SO, I spoiled her…rotten…Then when I realized that she was not taking her training seriously and I feared for her safety; I punished her. It was horrible and it was the last time I punished her physically."

"What did you do to her?" she asked with hesitation.

"I spanked her with a silver paddle and I did it in front of others. I should have never done that, but it was how Ocella taught me to behave and how he controlled me. The minute that thought crossed my mind, I picked her up and carried her to bed. I held her all night and begged her to forgive me. I then called Marcus and Laurell. We soon learned the way to discipline Pam was to take her shoes." He smiled through the painful memory.

"So you would what, ground her?" she asked.

"Yes. Basically I would take her window shopping and get her nothing. I would make her drink from men, which she hated. Then my personal favorite; I would make her dress in rags for a couple of nights and go into town. It worked much better than the spanking, all that did was make her cling to me for nights on end." I admitted with shame.

"Tell me about some of her antics." Sookie asked.

"Well, let's see, she has danced a very naughty dance for a King just to embarrass him. She has, much to my chagrin, dressed me up as drag queen to get into a party she wanted to go to… I did mention I spoiled her rotten right? But the best of PAM would have to be what she did to Compton after he sent us to break up with you. That really pissed her off and it was before she loved you." I laughed at the memory.

"What did she do?"

"Well you know how Bill hates the smell of human food?"

"Yes…"

"Well she may or may not have had 30 garlic and cheese pizzas delivered to his house and she 'tamponed' his car." I laughed.

"She did what? Tamponed his car? What the hell is that?"

"Well you take a large container of hot water, 2 gallons of ketchup, several cans of tomato paste and melt it all together. Then you crush a can of sardines and mix it all thoroughly. You take a box of 48, and yes she said it had to be the box of 48, tampons and you soak them in the mixture and then throw them while they are still wet on-to the car or home of your choice. It's like toilet papering a car but with a very Pam twist." By this time I was laughing remembering the look on Compton's face when he had to pay for all those Pizza's, not to mention when he saw his car. CLASSIC. Sookie was laughing so hard I thought she was going to pee her pants. She crossed her legs and laid back laughing until she lost her breath.

We were still laughing when I heard Pam and Belinda in the hallway. I was about to tell Sookie they were home when I heard Belinda exclaim,

"Pam what the hell is this?" and before I could say or do anything I heard Sookie mutter,

"Oh hell"

**A/N: yes this is a real prank… if you like them only do it to the windshield… that shit will take the paint off a car… **

Here we go folks and remember to Author Alert incase I have the same problem with FanFic again and it wont let me update the story. I will have to add the chapters as new story. I will do it like "Remembered Love Chpt _ (whatever we are on) and then in the description I will put that it is due to FF not letting me update to the current story. It is a system wide problem but I still have not heard when it will be fixed! HUGS:)

**HUGS**


	32. Chapter 32 A Nice Quiet Family Dinner,

Chapter 32 – A Nice quiet Family Dinner, Yeah right!

_**A/N:**__ I am so frustrated with FF right now… Hopefully I can keep posting the normal way soon but for now just in case author-alert me so you don't miss the chappies… I own nothing! Love you! Momma Minion! I love my Beta team of __**KJWRIT**__ and __**SASSYVAMPMAMA**__! (And Keep your eyes open- there is a tiny shout out to Jane Eyre with the quoting of a line…let me know if you find it. __)_

_**LAST TIME: (Eric sees the phantom babies and swears to get to the bottom of it. Sookie talks to Remy about Hunter and telepathy. She is confused as to how he is a telepath since he is akin to her through her dad and not her mom. Sookie wakes Eric with her light but instead of just waking him it makes his heart beat. Pam while trying to take care of Belinda starts a ruckus.) **_

**EPOV: ****"Well, let's see, she has danced a very naughty dance for a King just to embarrass him. She has, much to my chagrin, dressed me up as drag queen to get into a party she wanted to go to… I did mention I spoiled her rotten right? But the best of PAM would have to be what she did to Compton after he sent us to break up with you. That really pissed her off and it was before she loved you." I laughed at the memory.**

"**What did she do?"**

"**Well you know how Bill hates the smell of human food?"**

"**Yes…"**

"**Well she may or may not have had 30 garlic and cheese pizzas delivered to his house and she 'tamponed' his car." I laughed.**

"**She did what? Tamponed his car? What the hell is that?"**

"**Well you take a large container of hot water and 2 gallons of ketchup and several cans of tomato paste and melt it all together. Then you crush a can of sardines and you mix it thoroughly. You then take a box of 48, and yes she said it had to be the box of 48, tampons and you soak them in the mix and then throw them while they are wet on to the car or home of your choice. It's like toilet papering a car but with a very Pam twist." By this time I was laughing remembering the look on Compton's face when he had to pay for all those Pizza's not to mention when he saw his car. CLASSIC. Sookie was laughing so hard I thought she was going to pee her pants. She crossed her legs and laid back and laughed until she lost her breath.**

**We were still laughing when I heard Pam and Belinda in the hallway. I was about to tell Sookie they were home when I heard Belinda exclaim,**

"**Pam what the hell is this?" and before I could say or do anything I heard Sookie mutter, **

"**Oh hell"**

**SPOV**

I knew as soon as I heard Belinda's voice she had found the claiming papers. Shit, shit and double shit.

"Pam what the hell is this? Don't stand there and look at me with that blank stare. Don't you dare pretend you are in down time! What the hell are these papers?" By the time I opened the door and went out in the hallway Belinda was standing there with her arms crossed.

"Belinda, I am only watching out for you. Should anything happen to me I want you taken care of." It was obvious that Pam wanted to defuse the situation but had no clue which direction to go.

"And you didn't think you should mention this to me before you had the paperwork drawn up?" Her eyes were angry but they were clouding with tears. I could hear her thoughts were all over the place, full of worry, fear, anger, and almost a sheer terror of the thought of life without Pam.

"No, I was afraid it would upset you and I now know I was right." she said with irritation in her voice.

"You high-handed…I am more upset that you did this behind my back!" she answered with her own irritation.

"I did nothing behind your back! You are being ridiculous! I did this for you!" Pam charged.

"I don't want it!" she had tears in her eyes and she was shaking. Pam was about to get really wound up but then she saw Belinda's face as she continued, "It won't matter then… I don't want it and I wouldn't be there to use it anyway…" she put her back up against the wall and slid down it to sit on the floor.

I knew what she meant but it took Pam a moment on the uptake before she said,

"Promise me you won't do that. IF it ever happens… if I meet my final death I want you to promise me that you won't do that. You must promise me." she whispered as she too sat down in the floor.

"I can't promise you that. If you go… I go… I'll meet the sun the next day if you've already turned me and if you haven't I'll do what I was going to do the night you saved me. I won't live without you. I won't!" and with that she jumped up and ran for their room. Just when I thought she was making such strides in her confidence and belief in herself this happened.

"I thought she had found her self-worth." I whispered as I sat down and wrapped my arms around Pam.

"I did too." She said sadly.

"To be honest though Pam, if it was Eric. If it happened to him, I might do the same thing. I might meet the sun. God knows I would not want to live anymore." I confessed after I had a moment to think. Then Eric spoke,

"I will meet the sun. If you die… I die…" He had remained silent until then, choosing this moment to drop that bomb in my lap.

"Eric, don't say that…" before I could say more he continued his train of thought.

"No, I have no desire to live without you. It has nothing to do with self-worth and everything to do with a life worth living. I have more belief in myself as a man now than I did when I was human, but without you it is pointless. I understand how Belinda feels, perhaps not to the extreme that she does but I do get it. I would not want a forever of 'what would Sookie think' or 'Sookie would have loved that' it would hurt too damn much." He explained and suddenly Pam and I understood too. Belinda's reaction had nothing to do with her thinking she was not worth anything without Pam and everything to do with just how much Pam's love made her life worth living.

Pam sighed and said, "I will go talk to her."

We watched Pam walk down the hall as we went back into our room to get ready for our Wal-Mart trip and I decided that I would do the cooking for the night so Pam could talk to Belinda. So fried chicken, fried potatoes, Mac-n-cheese, turnip greens and corn bread with pecan pie was on the menu and I just needed to pick a few things up not to mention I needed to get Hunter that coloring book and perhaps a toy.

An hour later I was in the checkout lane rolling my eyes at Eric. He had gotten a little carried away getting Hunter some toys. He bought way too many things and wanted to get an outside play gym on the off chance that Hunter started spending more time with us.

"No wonder Pam is so spoiled rotten. You are horrible. You haven't even met him yet and you bought out the toy department." He only smiled at my comment as he replied,

"I enjoy buying things for people, well the people that I care for; and you care for the boy. I can hear it in your voice and you haven't met him yet either and yet your first reaction was to come shopping for him." he snarked.

"No, I came to get a coloring book and perhaps ONE toy for him. You are the one with the cart full of toys and talking about driving across the street to Lowe's to buy a play gym for our yard!" I half fussed and half laughed at him.

"We have money darling, lots and lots of money. It will make the child happy and feel welcome. Not to mention he probably feels lost and alone like you did when you were little and these toys coupled with us being nice to him, might make him feel more at ease with us." He smiled a sad smile and suddenly I knew exactly what this was about.

"Gran… he doesn't have Gran to comfort him like I did and you want to fill that void for him the way she did for me… oh honey, that is wonderful and so amazingly sweet, but buying all of this won't do that. You will have to make him comfortable with you and let him know he can talk to you and come to you." I tried to explain.

"And I will do all those things Lover, but in the mean time he and I will have plenty of toys to play with tonight while I reassure him that he has a very large family that will look after and watch over him. He will never be alone as you were. He will have all of us." He smiled and I shrugged as I giggled,

"Okay honey, whatever you think… I love you for this. I love you so much."

"I love you too Sookie." I suddenly heard an audible,

"Aaawww…" it was a girl who smiled brightly. I felt Eric tense beside me but she spoke again,

"Don't worry, Master Eric, I won't say a word about how sweet you are with your wife." It was then that I recognized her as one of the fangbangers from Fangtasia; she looked totally different without all the black and dark makeup. Eric turned to me and said,

"I'll be right back."

"You will not glamour that girl!" I fussed.

"I won't."

"You will not threaten that girl."

"I won't. Sookie you have no faith in me, trust me." he grinned his panty dropping smile at me as he walked toward the door she was walking out. I saw him lean into her and whisper something in her ear. She smiled and shook her head furiously as he handed something to her. I was unloading the cart as he made his way back to me.

"What did you do?"

"I bribed her."

"You what?"

"You heard me; I can't have her speaking about how sweet I am to you…I have a reputation to uphold…" he paused as I raised an eyebrow before he continued, "I'm joking Lover. I gave her free drink cards for the club, but I did glamour her to see if she overheard anything about Hunter and she did not. We must be more careful about our public conversations." I had not thought about that. He was right if Eric and I were perceived as targets to our enemies that could be used against each other, well, that was one thing since we could defend ourselves. But if Hunter was tagged as belonging to us it could be dangerous for him, and he has no way to defend himself yet. I would have to see if he had any Fae powers, and if so, then I would have to teach him how to use them as soon as possible.

"You are right I had not even thought about that." I took a deep breath and continued, "Okay, let's pay and get home. I've gotta get to cookin' all this stuff and we need to put some of these toys away. We cannot give him all these tonight." I smiled and we were on our way home to family dinner. The last one turned out remarkably well considering how horrible it started so maybe this one would just be smooth sailing. Yeah, right.

**PPOV**

I left Sookie and Eric in the hallway and I went to check on my bonded. I found her on the bed with the guardianship papers in her hand as she sobbed into my pillow. Running my hand over her back, she jerked away and I thought, 'Shit, long ass night.' I clasped my hands in my lap and turned my back to her as I spoke.

"I will never willingly leave you. I love you. I don't want you to ever be put in the position you were when your grandmother died. I want you to have purpose, and if something happens to me Sookie and Eric would need you. They could not lose us both. You need to look at it from another point of view. You have people in your life now that would be destroyed if you left them willingly, even if it meant you could meet me in the hereafter sooner that way." I said as softly as I could.

"You checked the Pledged box." She sniffed as she moved a little closer to me so her back touched mine.

"Yes, I did." I turned and ran my hand over her back and this time she did not jerk away, but her little body shook and I knew she was still crying, only perhaps now for another reason.

"I don't want to be selfish and hurt my family by doing that, but Pam it would hurt me so bad to lose you, I just don't know if I could survive it. Just the thought of it makes me ache." and with that she rolled over and wrapped her arms around my waist.

"I love you Belinda and I will never willingly leave you. This is just a precaution."

"Okay, but I want to put your name on all my trust accounts. I am going to talk to daddy about it tonight." She smiled her bright smile and I felt my dead heart beat. That was always the way of it; her smile could light up the world. She was my candle in the darkness and I knew that I was one lucky vampire.

I reached into the nightstand drawer and pulled out the box that held our bonding knife. Inside it was where I had been keeping a ring that I bought for her. I saw it when I was helping Eric pick wedding bands for him and Sookie. The moment I saw the ring I knew it was the ring for Belinda so I bought it for her.

"Love, I have something for you. Will you wear this ring as a promise of our pledging?" I had no idea how to propose and that is what this surmounted to I thought.

"You really want us to pledge? Really!" she asked excitedly, but with a small amount of doubt and hesitation. Did she really think I would possibly change my mind? I loved her with all my heart. She was the ONE. Just like Keillen had told me all those years ago, I had found my ONE.

"Yes. I love you. You are the one for me and I would like nothing more than to be your pledged. So, will you be mine?"

"YES! Oh Pam, I love you so much! I love you." She sat up and I pulled her into my lap as I kissed her gently and softly as I put the ring on her finger. It was a perfect fit, just like Belinda was to me.

"Pam, if I happened to have a ring for you, will you wear it?"

"Yes, my angel." I said as I kissed her with every emotion I had inside me. I pulled back to look at her and watched as love, pure love, radiated from her eyes.

"Good, 'cause I have something to give you." and with that she padded off to the closet and then came back with a ring that rivaled the ring Sookie wore. It was obvious to me it was Fae and of her family line. Without a word she slipped it on my finger and kissed me with a sweetness I hoped to one day deserve.

**EPOV**

My beloved; as I drove I kept a close eye on her as she sat unaware of me contemplating our life. She was tired, even though she was acting as if she was not. Her eyes were heavy and she kept closing them as we drove. I took the turn to take the long way home as I was hoping she would be able to take a short nap. She certainly kept my life interesting. Newlin was still out there after us. The Fae Breandan would have to be dealt with sooner rather than later if my instincts were right, which they normally are.

Then there were her powers, her ever growing powers. I remembered what Niall said, _"This is the tip of the iceberg."_ Now add in the fact that she had me totally convinced we would have children of our own. Just the thought of that alone made me smile. Even though they would have to be constantly watched and protected until they could protect themselves I would love to watch my children grown inside her.

Then there was Hunter, her little cousin; I would have to arrange security of some sort for them. I know that Sophie left her team of Were's in place, but I would feel better if I had someone I trusted to look over them. All this ran through my head as I stole another look at my sleeping beloved. There was nothing I would not do for this creature, this beautiful unearthly creature. She was my entire world and nothing would do but to make her mine forever.

We were almost home when she began to coo. I knew she was starting to wake by the sweet noises she was making. I loved them so.

"Mmm, baby did I fall asleep on you?"

"Yes, but you needed the nap."

"Ewwww, I drooled on myself, icky."

"Yes, but what delicious drool it is my Lover."

"Eric that is just gross." she giggled.

"I love several of your fluids…"

"Eric! Stop! You are about to make me gag." but she was giggling and blushing fiercely as she glared at me and tried to act like she was mad at me.

"Come Lover, let me help you get all these toys out of the car that you bought young Hunter." I smirked as she slapped me on the arm. I watched her waltz into the house with her arms full of bags. God forbid she let me take everything in for her. I laughed to myself again, thinking how she was a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a puzzling detective novel or perhaps a thriller, but she was and will always be a mystery to me. No matter how deep I could see into her thoughts and into her soul there would be parts of her that I would never, ever understand. Just then from the kitchen I hear,

"And don't you ever forget it Viking!" I roared with laughter realizing Sookie had read my thoughts and suddenly felt much, much lighter.

**SPOV**

_A mystery, he thinks I'm a mystery _I thought to myself, yeah and he's not? He was a Viking warrior that was turned vampire and by all rights should be a serial killer just by who his maker was alone. But instead he was with me at Wal-Mart buying toys for a child he had never met before. He cares for me as if I were a princess, well I know that I technically was one, but you know what I mean. '_Yep, I'm the mystery_' I giggled to myself as I started dinner for the family tonight.

I went into the wine cellar and damn near tripped over the specialty bloods that I had moved out of my way the last time. I moved them by the door meaning to put them up later while I searched for Eric's and Pam's favorites. I pulled several since we would have so many vampires here tonight and I was genuinely looking forward to everyone coming over, but especially getting to meet Hunter.

I heard Belinda giggling and Pam's laugh, so I sighed a big breath of relief knowing they had worked through their issues, and I came back upstairs to a FULL kitchen. Marcus, Laurell, Alexander, Lillianna, Pam and Belinda were all huddled around the breakfast nook. I saw Belinda move toward the French Doors that lead to the pool deck. She looked puzzled,

"Sookie, why is Eric putting a play gym together in the backyard?"

"Oh no, he didn't! That sneaky vampire, how the hell did he pull that off?"

"I popped him to a place called Lowe's and he flew home." Lillianna offered.

"I swear I am going to…" Deep breaths Sookie…deep breaths, I chose to ignore it and just keep cooking.

I heard popping and wondered which faery family member had just popped in, but that was answered as Belinda squealed out "Daddy!" It was then that they announced what I kinda suspected all along.

"Daddy, Pam asked me to pledge to her and I said yes." and with that she showed the ring on her hand that I had pretended not to see for the past half hour. The house was abuzz with activity when more pops could be heard and I knew that Claudine and Niall were here. Laurell and Marcus had walked out to back to "help" a now cursing Viking vampire finish putting the play gym together.

Eric came inside muttering,

"Easy to follow instructions my ass… thank the gods I speak French… what the hell is a universal screw anyway? I know what I want it to be, but…"

"Eric Northman, you will not use innuendos like that in my house and quite complaining, you are the one who snuck off and bought a play gym on your own." I smirked and giggled a little at his expense. "Oh, and turn on the flood lights so Hunter can see the gym when he comes in the kitchen, he is going to love it. And honey, I love you." and just like that the vampire wasn't so mad anymore. Then I went in for the kill as I thought to his mind,

'_I'll show you what a Universal screw is later darling.'_

I continued to cook until I heard Pam say,

"Why is there a teacup human at the front gate?"

"Oh, that is my cousin Hunter and his dad Remy. Hunter is Hadley's son." I explained. Pam turned to Belinda and snarked,

"Belinda, don't get to close to it. They smell and tend to spit up."

"Oh Pam, that is what babies do, not little boys. He is around 4 years old, so you will be safe. I swear." Belinda said as she rolled her eyes.

I walked to the intercom and gave the guards permission to send up Remy and Hunter. When they got to the door I don't know whose eyes were bigger, Remy's or Hunter's. Hunter scooted behind his father to hide in that shy little boy way that makes every woman swoon. I sent him a quickly little mental message,

'_Hunter, we talked on the phone. I am Aunt Sookie and you are safe here."_ I smiled at him as he peered up at me from behind Remy while he tried to decide if he believed me or not. Remy and I exchanged pleasantries as I asked him to come inside and make himself at home. Hunter looked hesitant but he followed Remy. I saw his eyes grow tired and afraid as he saw the room full of people. I remembered that feeling when I was a child. I hated large crowds because of all the noise in my head. It always made me sick with a bad headache.

"Hunter, I don't think you will be able to hear most of these people, and you know what? I will teach you how to block out the voices so you can just hear when you want." I paused to see what he thought about that and a huge smile came across his face. Then I added,

"You know what else? You have grandparents inside waiting to meet you. They are very excited to get to see you tonight." Hunter and Remy followed me the rest of the way into the kitchen as I offered a kitchen counter stool to Remy to sit down.

Hunter watched Laurell as she walked toward him from the back door. She had been outside on the pool deck with Eric but was now moving with great purpose, as was Niall. They stopped in front of Hunter and smiled at him and then at each other. Niall looked to me and said,

"He looks like Fintan did at that age."

"Who's Fintan?" Hunter said softly.

"He was your great-grandfather and a great man." Laurell said with pride in her voice. I sent Hunter a mental note that she was family and would not hurt him.

"Hi. I'm Hunter." he said as he stuck out his little hand to her.

"Well, hello there. I am your great-great grandmother, Laurell, but you may call me Gammy." She paused for a moment before introducing Niall.

"And this is Niall; he is your great-great grandfather." She finished and Hunter looked at him questioningly as he said,

"What do I call you?"

"Anything you like little one, anything you like."

"I like Grampa. I always wanted a Grampa." he said so sweetly that everyone just smiled at each other and the High Lord, Prince of all Faeries said,

"Well, then Grampa I shall be." I let them get acquainted for a while. Niall did some Faery magic for him and Laurell levitated and spun him around the room. He was thoroughly convinced he had the coolest grandparents ever when I asked him,

"Hunter, I have another surprise for you would you like to see?" I took him by his hand and let him to the pool deck as Remy sat and talked with Laurell and Niall. Hunter walked straight to Eric and climbed up in his lap as he announced,

"You are my Uncle Ewwic. I saw you in Aunt Sookie's head."

"Now Hunter, you have to be careful with that. We will talk about all that later but one thing I want you to know is you should not just dip into other people's minds just because you can. I know that you are having trouble controlling, it so I am going to show you how to stop them when you don't want to. You also have to remember that you can't tell other people you can hear inside their head. It is okay to say it here with us because we are family but strangers can't know. Do you understand?"

"Yes Aunt Suekee" he smiled as he continued to look at Eric. He stared and stared to the point of it being uncomfortable then he said,

"Uncle Ewwic, why can't I hear you?"

"No brainwaves; but there may be a day that you can hear vampires, and if that ever happens, you can only tell Aunt Sookie or me. Do you understand?"

"What's a brainwave and can I tell daddy if I hear a vampire?"

"Vampires are in actuality…" I cut him off before he said dead.

"A lot harder for people like us to hear…" I offered as Eric cut me off and added,

"And no Hunter, you must not tell your father or anyone else if you can hear us. It could put him and you in dan…"

"A bad position… if people knew about your gift they could want to use it for selfish purposes." I cut in again. I could tell Hunter was getting scared so I offered,

"Hunter, look what Uncle Eric bought you." I pointed to the play gym, "Do you want to go play on it?"

"SURE!" He jumped down from Eric's lap but held on to Eric's hand as he said, "Come on Uncle Ewwic, let's play!" Eric looked unsure but followed, as did Alexander.

Lillianna looked at me and said, "It will be good for them. They shouldn't get into too much trouble together." Why did she say that out loud?

I had left Pam in charge of the food, but I went into see how everything was going and how close we were to eating. Felipe and Constance were just arriving at the guard's gate when I walked in so I was able to approve them to come on up to the house.

Felipe, Constance and I exchanged pleasantries as we walked toward the kitchen, the over-crowded kitchen. I never thought I would need a bigger kitchen since this one had an eat-in area, a breakfast nook and a counter bar, but when we added Sven, Livy and her mom, Remy and now Felipe and Constance I was glad I had the huge dining room for us to spread out into. As we rounded the corner into the kitchen I heard Constance make a little noise that sounded like a gasp and Felipe said,

"Holy Mother Mary of God." He had locked eyes on Remy. I had not mentioned anything to Felipe about Remy or Hunter. It was an honest omission, but it seemed he knew him already. Remy stood and said,

"Do I know you? You look so familiar. Like someone out of a dream I had once…" and as I waited for Felipe to explain I heard a scream from outside. It was Hunter. Just once can't we have a nice quiet family dinner? Then I felt Eric panic. _**Well Shit. I guess not! **_

_**A/N: Here we go folks and remember to Author Alert incase I have the same problem with FanFic again and it won't let me update the story. I have a plan in case we ever have this update problem and the quick fix won't work for whatever reason… here is my idea = I will add the chapters as new story. I will do it like "Remembered Love Chpt _ (whatever we are on) and then in the description I will put that it is due to FF not letting me update to the current story. It is a system wide problem. But for right now it seems I can update with a little work! **_

_**I am on vacation so if I am a little slow in responding to your reviews you will know why! NOW I wonder what happened and why does Felipe know Remy?MMMM, interesting! Momma Minion loves you! HUGS**_


	33. Chapter 33 It was not what I meant

Chapter 33 – It was not what I meant

A/N: Oh lord I have it good this week. I am writing this on the beach! I am in heaven! As always thanks to my Beta team of **KJWRIT** and **SASSYVAMPMAMA** I love you girls! HUGS and speaking of which… Sassy and I are co-hosting a contest! It's called **The Snarky Sidekick Contest** and we're looking for the **snarkiest, sassiest, mouthiest and most opinionated Pam you can think of; sarcasm and Dear Abby insights are more than welcome.** We're not looking for emo Pam-isms or the 'sensitive best friend type" stories, only the razor sharp wit we've come to know and love. **We're looking for funny here folks. (make Momma Minion laugh!)**

**And as usual, this is a one-shot contest.** However, this is also a way to encourage authors to add more Pam-alicious stories to the fandom. The point is; we love Pam-snark and there's just not enough here to satisfy our craving.** Stories can be any pairing or no pairing at all, any universe, vamp or human, but all stories must be told in Pam POV or have Pam as the main character**. Tap into your inner snark and let Pam speak. Check out the FanFic **profile page, The Snarky Sidekick Contest,** for more information if you're interested.

**Last time: (Sookie and Eric are preparing for a family dinner while Pam and Belinda are coming to terms with their future then later little Hunter comes over for a visit and craziness ensues.)**

**SPOV**

"**SURE!" he jumped down from Eric's lap but held on to Eric's hand as he said, "Come on Uncle Ewwic, let's play!" Eric looked unsure but followed as did Alexander.**

**Lillianna looked at me and said, "It will be good for them. They shouldn't get into too much trouble together." Why did she say that out loud?**

**I had left Pam in charge of the food, but I went into see how everything was going and how close we were to eating. Felipe and Constance were just arriving at the guard's gate when I walked in so I was able to approve them to come on up to the house.**

**Felipe, Constance and I exchanged pleasantries as we walked toward the kitchen, the over-crowded kitchen. I never thought I would need a bigger kitchen since this one had a eat-in area, a breakfast nook and a counter bar, but when we added Sven, Livy and her mom, Remy and now Felipe and Constance I was glad I had the huge dining room for us to spread out into. As we rounded the corner into the kitchen I heard Constance make a little noise that sounded like a gasp and Felipe said,**

"**Holy Mother Mary of God..." He had locked eyes on Remy. I had not mention to Felipe about Remy or Hunter. It was an honest omission, but it seemed he knew him already. Remy stood and said,**

"**Do I know you? You look so familiar. Like someone out of a dream I had once…" and as I waited for Felipe to explain I heard a scream from outside. It was Hunter. Just once can't we have a nice quiet family dinner? Well Shit. I guess not!**

EPOV

Playing with Hunter was bringing back wonderful memories of playing with my own children. It did not take long before the play gym was a fort and Alexander was a bad guy while Hunter and I were the good guys. We were in the middle of a great battle when Hunter simulated a move that Alex had done off the top of the slide. I rushed to get him, but it was too late as he came down with a large thump causing him to scream out in pain. I saw blood and bone coming through the wound on his left arm and did something I just don't do; I panicked. Before I could think I had bitten my fingers and pushed them into Hunter's mouth. I think I said, "It can heal you or stop the pain," but the boy did as I bade him and drank. When I heard the 'pop,' all hell broke loose.

"Eric Northman, what the hell?" Sookie had popped from the house so she was a good 100 feet in front of Remy. She looked at Hunter and I knew she was speaking to him mentally as she took him from me.

"Eric you can't just do that. You are not his father!"

"He was in pain. It was broken and now it is not." I tried to defend my actions but somewhere in my mind I remembered being a father and I knew I had overstepped. Not to mention, I had put my blood inside an under-aged child without the consent of their parent. BIG AVL NO-NO!

"Hunter… buddy… you okay?" Remy asked as he took him from Sookie.

"Yes daddy. I'm kay…Uncle Ewwic catched me." he said with a tiny sob. I felt like shit having just made a 4 year old have to lie.

"He caught you; not 'catched you' and we are lucky for that. You could have broken your arm little guy." he said and we all winced again. "Come on buddy, let's get you washed up before supper, okay?"

Hunter nodded and as they walked back toward the house I heard Hunter say "Thank you Uncle Ewwic." The only problem was he did not speak out loud. Double shit.

**SPOV**

After the debacle that was the play gym and several dirty looks to Eric and Alex I shook off the ordeal and went back inside. Remy was in the powder room helping Hunter get washed up so I took that moment to ask Felipe,

"So, let me guess, Remy's part of your family line?"

"Yes, it would seem young Hunter is your double cousin. He has both your Faery heritage and my blood line. Sookie, he could become quite powerful. He could be like you and that could be dangerous if his powers come into play before he is able to control them." he said with great concern.

"Alright, then we'll work with him. I can help him with the Faery powers and show him how to shield his telepathy. And if you help with the empathy/telepath stuff too, then together we can teach him what he needs to know." I paused as I thought aloud,

"Do you think he will be a seer?"

"I don't know." He was thoroughly worried.

"When Remy comes out what will you do? Will you explain it to him?"

"Yes, I will tell him everything. It will help him keep the boy safe. I have stayed silent for far too long in my children's lives. I will do what is right and take care of what is mine." It was a very 'Eric' like comment, but maybe it is a vampire thing or it perhaps just a man thing.

I picked up on Eric's feelings or rather lack of them, through our bond and knew he was worried. I excused myself and went in search of my husband. When I found him, shielding his thoughts and the bond from me, avoiding me all I could think was …What the hell?

"Darling, can I have a moment please." I said in a less than loving tone.

"Of course," he said and he followed me into the family room that was now empty as everyone was sitting down to dinner.

"Eric, what is going on with you? What has happened?"

"I can 'hear' Hunter and I think he can now 'hear' me. I have put him danger by trying to help him."

"When?" was all I could get out at the moment.

"When Remy was carrying him in the house I heard him say 'thank you Uncle Eric' but he had said nothing verbally, it was mind to mind."

"Well, it was going to happen sooner or later. His telepathy comes from Felipe. You weren't inside earlier…" and I explained the connection, "So you see he will have all the powers I have, maybe even more." I explained before adding, "at least we know it is your blood that is a catalyst to bringing our Fae abilities to the forefront."

"It could be vampire blood in general that brings it out in all Fae perhaps not just our family."

"I don't know Eric, everything that is happening to us seems to float right here around our family. I can't help but think it is somehow tied into all that 'fate' stuff that follows us everywhere. Eric, he is just a little boy what if we can't keep him safe?"

"We will Lover, we will. I promise you that. Whatever it takes, remember? I am not going anywhere." He smiled. He was reminding me of our promises. So I smiled and added,

"And I won't run. I am yours." We embraced and I felt our love flow through me and back into him. I suddenly felt so much better. We walked back slowly to join family for our dinner and I watched and listened to this odd group as they laughed and talked. They were just like any other family; loving, loud, full of opinions, some eating food while others were drinking down specialty blends of blood, but mostly just a regular family happy to be together.

Dinner went off without any more problems. There was a phone call from Jason saying he was sorry he could not make it but he was on a date and did not want to bring her over. Sven and Livy had a good long talk with her mom and explained that he was her 'boyfriend' I was still unsure how I felt about that but who am I to judge? They walked her to her car, and as she drove away Livy seemed truly content for the first time since I had known her. I remembered having those feelings when Gran was alive. If I had a secret, I had to tell Gran because it wasn't real, tangible, until I had shared it with her. I smiled at the memories of her sitting on her stool in the kitchen listening to me babble on and on about whatever I thought was so important at the time.

Remy lifted a now sleeping Hunter out of Laurell's arms and carried him to the truck. Niall and Laurell followed them to the old truck to say goodbye. They were getting along so much better than they had in the beginning. I was very happy that the horrible tension seemed to be dissipating. I could see them looking at the truck and then back at each other. There was not a doubt in my mind that Remy would find a brand new vehicle in his drive by morning if not before he made it home. I laughed a little to myself as I turned to see Marcus standing beside me. He had stayed in the foyer with me and looked a little lost as he said,

"I wish I could have given her children. I wish Fintan and Dermot were mine."

"Did you have children before you were turned?" I wondered out loud. He looked young, but back then they had children at a young age when he was still human. Take Eric for example, he had married Aude when he was 15 and had become a father when he was 16. I shook myself from thinking of how much he had lost in his lifetime and realized I needed to talk to Marcus about what had happened with Eric this afternoon.

"No little one, I was never a father. I think that is why I have always enjoyed being a maker so much. For me, the closest I have ever been to a newborn is the night my children have risen. I remember when your Gammy rose like it was last night…magnificent, she was magnificent." he mused.

"How many 'children' do you have?"

"Around 30, but you must remember I have been a vampire for over three thousand years." He seemed to think he needed to defend the number of vampires he had turned which led me to another question?

"Have you ever turned anyone against their will?"

"Once, she was dying and I could not let her go. She has never forgiven me and I have not seen her since…well around the time Eric came into our lives."

"What happened?"

"I was traveling, trying to reach Ocella and keep him in line. He had recently visited with Eric. I guess Eric was around 10-12 year's vampire by this time. Laurell was worried about him so I went out in search of them. I was in the Northern Territory and it was quite cold out when I spotted a young girl probably 17 or so and I was very hungry. I glamoured her to feed, but then when I went to release her I could not find a settlement nearby to release her to. I could not leave her in the middle of the forest she would have frozen to death before daybreak, so I sat her down and had her tell me what brought her to that place." He paused like he was not going to finish the story so I asked,

"What did she say?" I prodded. Nosey, who me?

"She was to be married to someone and did not wish to do so. Her mother had died when she was young and her father abandoned her not long after. Her brothers were gone to war and could not help her; she said she was all alone. I wished Laurell had been there with me she was at home since the boys were visiting, but I knew had she been there she would have known what to say to make her feel better. I was never good with that not like Laurell."

"So how did she get hurt?" I asked remembering he had said she was dying which was why he turned her.

"She accompanied me on my travels for several weeks. I had intended on her coming home with me as I was sure Laurell would know how to help her. I woke one night to find her in dire-straights. She had been attempting to cross a frozen part of a stream when she fell through the ice. There was a log underneath the ice with branches protruding from it and her lung had been punctured. If it had happened earlier in the day there would have been no way for me to save her, but as it was, I did what I had to do." He sighed sadly before continuing,

"There was something about her that was so familiar and sweet that I just could not let her go. I was telling her what it was she would become and she was shaking her head 'no' but I did it anyway. I turned her knowing she did not want it. I was yet another man making decisions for her. She of course went home with me for a few months, but she very quickly was able to control her impulses and I was able to release her. Not even Laurell could break through her hard shell although she did love Laurell above all others, even me. She hasn't ever really accepted me or what she is. She went back to her home county and lives in all but seclusion where she lived as a human. I heard that she became a maker not long after I released her and that brought me some comfort. The only thing I know for sure about her is that she missed her family and didn't feel as if she deserved to be happy without them." He ended his sad story and I realized that I still had to talk to him about what had happened with Eric and me earlier.

"Marcus, thank you for always telling me parts of your life and making me feel like family. That is why I feel comfortable enough to tell you about something that happened with Eric and me. So can we talk to you after everyone leaves? I think it is REALLY important." I smiled.

"Of course little one, I will wait for you in the family room. Tell your Gammy where I am, you know how she worries." He laughed as he walked toward the den and I went back to the kitchen to look for Eric.

"Eric, where are you baby?" I called out. I could feel him, but called out to him knowing he loved hearing me say it out loud.

"I am here, Lover." he growled as he took me into his arms and kissed me thoroughly. He ran his fingers through my hair and ground his body against mine.

"I love it when you do that." I said dreamily.

"Well then, if that be the case," and he smirked at me as he did it again. I had to put my hand on his chest to balance myself and when we broke apart I said,

"We need to stop before this gets out of hand. We have to talk to Marcus and Laurell once everyone leaves. Should we ask Niall to stay?" I asked wondering if he had any input.

"Lover, I think we should tell Marcus, Laurell, Lillianna and Alexander for now. If they do not have any ideas then we can tell Niall. I know he is your great-grandfather, but I still do not trust him. I am sorry I just do not have it in me to trust a faery." I knew what he meant but it still stung. I was faery even if he did not view me that way all the time.

"Even me? _You don't trust me?_" I practically whimpered as I thought the last part sadly.

**EPOV**

Damn it. As soon as I said it I wanted the sentence back. It was not what I meant. There was a world of difference in a faery that had been born in and raised in Faery and my precious wife and her situation. It was the way I worded it that it had hurt her and I could feel her pain as she looked up at me like she used to; unsure and somewhat leery. It made me ache that I had made her feel that way again as she said,

"Even me? _You don't trust me?_" her voice was shaky, but it was the latter part that hurt me even more to know I made her feel as though I didn't trust her, and I knew one more wrong word from me would leave her in tears.

"Of course not you Lover I trust you with my very existence. I share 'resting chamber' with you does that not answer your question? I should not have worded what I said that way. Fae that are raised in Faery are raised to hate vampires. That is what I was referring to when I spoke of Niall, not you my sweet wife, never you." I pulled her to me and held her close, pushing all the love I felt for her through our shared bond. She smiled against my chest and rubbed her cheek against me, finding comfort in my explanation.

"I love you and I know you trust me. It's just hard sometimes to not worry about the whole faery/vampire thing, ya know?" she said as she looked at me with worried eyes.

"Sookie, we will always be on the same side. Remember what you always tell me, 'we have a blood covenant, you and I'. We are one, my wife and we always will be." This comment seemed to put her at ease as she nodded and we made our way to the den to look for our family.

I kept her close to me as I wanted to reassure her, sending my love and trust through the bond and kissing the top of her head as I whispered sweet endearments to her as well. I noticed Laurell watching us and she smiled somewhat eerily at me as if she knew I had upset Sookie. I sent her a little message through our strange little maker/child bond that I needed to speak to her and watched as she sat down. I wondered if she picked up on me needing Lillianna and Alexander there too as I saw Pam and Belinda were saying goodbye to Christean as we stood in the space between the kitchen, den and backdoors. It was as if everyone knew Sookie and I needed to speak with Marcus and they were making themselves scarce.

I kept petting and kissing Sookie and she started to giggle as she swatted at me without really wanting me to stop. She was so damn adorable. I loved her so fucking much. I pulled her from the entry way just so I could kiss her again and I ground myself up against her whispering,

"When they leave I am going to treat you like the queen you are." I kissed her again before heading back to the den so we could see if any of the family had advice for us. We found Laurell, Marcus, Lillianna and Alexander waiting for us in the den so I guessed my little call through the bond to Laurell worked.

"So my little Viking, what have you done now?" Laurell asked me with a raised eyebrow.

I turned to look at Sookie as if to ask her if she wanted me to explain and she nodded. So I began,

"Have you ever known of a faery being able to wake a vampire with their light?"

"Of course, I can do that with Marcus and Lillianna is able to do that with Alexander."

"Has anything…odd ever occurred when you've woke Marcus?"

"Odd, what do you mean odd?" she asked with concern in her voice. For all her blustering I was and would always be her little vampire. I smiled as I continued,

"Sookie had never attempted to wake me with her light before this afternoon. We had some strange side effects that have us concerned." I explained.

"What type of 'side effects'?" Laurell asked with increasing anxiety that I could feel floating between us.

"His heart was beating…he needed breathe…he was alive…" Sookie explained with tears in her eyes. She paused before continuing, "I had always wanted that… wished for it so many times…to walk in the sun with him… to have him with me during the day, but now, if something happens, it will all be my fault. Do you think I have hurt him? Do you think I can hurt him?" she was sobbing. She was terrified, but it wasn't me she found comfort in, it was Laurell.

"Oh my sweet baby grand daughter… oh there there my angel girl. Everything will be okay. There is nothing that has been done that can't be undone or that we can't figure out. You're safe, he is safe and everything will be alright…oh…honey." She cooed as she rocked Sookie in her arms. Marcus made his way to them and knelt in front of them.

"Sookie, I am sure that there is no way you could harm Eric by animating him during the day. Do you have to be at full power to wake him?"

"No, not full power but it does take a lot of power and magic."

"Does he stay animated on his own after you 'wake' him or do you have to keep you power flowing into him?"

"I have to keep the magic flowing or he goes right back to his daytime sleep." She explained with a small hiccup.

"Then I see no difference in the way you wake Eric and they way Laurell wakes me. Lillianna what do you think?" Marcus asked.

"While his heart has never beaten, I have always noticed a body temperature change in Alex."

"Yes it used to be more of a change before I turned you." Alex added.

"I agree, you did get almost 'human' hot before when I was Fae alone. Now your body warms, but not like before. I never put any of it together before now to be honest. I only wanted to wake you to hear your voice. It was when I was newly released from Fae and I was afraid to be alone during the day." Her words seemed to hurt Alex. I remembered too well what the separation was like for them. I remembered how Lilli clung to him in the beginning after her release. Alex moved quickly to her side and pulled her into his embrace. She swiped away the stray tears as she said,

"How silly, why would I cry over that now when it was so many years ago? Silly, so silly," her voice trailed off as she allowed Alex to comfort her.

"I am taking her to rest." And with that he lifted her into his arms and carried her out the back doors. I looked over to see a very serious Marcus and a weepy Laurell.

"I know that she would not take back having Christean, I know that he is her little boy and she loves him with her whole heart, but how I wish it would have happened differently." She mused for her granddaughter. We went back to the problem at hand,

"So Marcus, you really believe that I'm not hurting Eric? That it is safe for me to wake him during the day?" Sookie asked.

"Yes, little one. It is safe. I have heard of magic like this in the past and as long as there is love in your heart when you are waking him then your light can not harm your vampire. You have a type of necromancy that allows you to slip in and out of the veils." He smiled at her and she appeared to relax somewhat, but she still seemed very sad.

"Sookie are you alright?" Every emotion and worry that she had tied up inside her all night long just came flying out of her little mouth in a HUGE run on babbling sentence.

"Yes…NO… I've had so many emotions running through me and I've just been so worried. I AM worried! I'm worried about Hunter and if we can keep him safe. I'm worried about our babies and if we are ever going to find them! I was worried all damn day long if I hurt you or could hurt you by waking you and then Jason blew off dinner for some floozy just like he used to do! And now Livy is 'dating' Sven…I mean **come on** am I the only one a little worried about that one? He is like 1000 years older than her and she is 17…17! I know she is a vamp now but come on… Then add to the mix that Belinda and Pam are getting pledged and signing wills all in the same breath...pardon the pun...you're still sure Niall is untrustworthy and that makes me feel like CRAP no matter how you slice it. I love you more than anything in the world and I made you breathe today. I gave you life. I'm scared." And with that she was done…absolutely done.

I nodded to Laurell and Marcus as I picked her up and headed to our resting chamber with my entire world in my arms. This moment reminded me of how she had come to me months ago clinging to my t-shirt begging me to please remember her. So, like that night, I called out to Pam to advise her to take care of the house for Sookie and I kissed Sookie gently on her temple all the way to our resting chamber. I laid her on the bed all the while gently cooing to her and telling her that she was safe.

"You are safe Lover, so safe. All will be well." I promised as I began undressing her. She was visibly shaken and the worry was beginning to take its toll on her little body, not to mention the bond. She was still attempting to shield me from her emotions.

"Lover you have to let go…let go of the worry let me take this from you. Please Sookie, let go." I whispered and she smiled up at me as she began rubbing her face on my chest and cooing over and over,

"Please, love me, please." And with that plea I kissed her gently and I remembered my promise from earlier; to love her like a Queen and since I was a man of my word I did just that. I kissed her with every ounce of love I had for her and in the moment I could not help but be struck by the simple beauty of her love for me. The way she kissed me, the way she would trail her hand down my back were simple reminders of her love for me.

"Sookie, I am going to worship now. Lay back and just breathe lover, just breathe." I whispered. I kissed my way down her body and felt her hips rise up off the bed as I reached her hot core. I kissed and licked her where she needed it most. I had no concern for myself or any need that I might have as this was all about her. As I loved her into sweet oblivion it was as if she went somewhere else far away and yet she was still in my arms. I held her and waited for her to return to me.

**SPOV**

One moment I was in Eric's arms and the next I was in the kitchen and it was day time. I only had a moment to be slightly confused when a teenage girl came bouncing into the kitchen.

"Mom, what are you doing up so early? I thought you were going to sleep late."

"Adele?" I questioned as I moved toward her slowly but before she could respond two teenage boys came in behind her and they both said,

"Hey mom." They said at the same time, one was obviously CJ but the other I wasn't sure. I sat down on the stool as I held Adele's hand in mine. It was then that I realized she was handing me a flower. I held it to my nose and breathed in the scent of roses. If this was a dream it was so real. The boys seemed to realize about the same time as she did that there was something wrong with me.

"Lars did you do something to mom? Shit, she found your playboys…"CJ teased the other boy in a joking tone and before I could reprimand the bad language or the pornography that was apparently somewhere in my house Adele spoke up,

"Oh my stars, I know what this is… I know what is happening!" Adele exclaimed before she continued, "No one tell her anything about the now or the past. This is the time mom and dad warned us about this is when she crosses time and space. In her time right now we aren't born yet, we can't tell her how to do it and Lars sorry but you weren't even a blip on the radar yet."

"So Adele, do I call you Adele? And you are CJ her twin. Lars, you are the baby. You are my baby."I babbled incoherently as they circled me to comfort me and hold me. It was Adele who answered me.

"Actually you and daddy started calling me Addie when I was little and it stuck, oh crap, should I have told her that?"She paused for a moment and CJ took over,

"You call me CJ unless I am in trouble then I am Corbett Johan Northman." He hugged me as the younger boy walked up and grinned,

"You called me Sweet Pea until I started Kindergarten, but you embarrassed me once so you try to remember to call me Lars, but I get 'Eric Jr.' a lot when I am being a handful or' baby boy' when you are worried. I love you, mom." I held my sweet baby in my arms and wept tears of joy. If what they were saying was true, Eric and I would find away to have our babies.

"Oh mommy, just know that everything is going to be okay. We love you so much." And with that my children embraced me. I clung to them and kissed their faces. I looked at Lars and said,

"You look so much like your daddy. But the Twins, they look like me a little bit, but you not a trace except your chin. All three of you have my chin." Weeping I kept holding them and kissing their faces until I heard a familiar voice,

"What is all this? Why are my best girls crying and my men allowing it?" his voice was concerned all the while teasing. He was still just as beautiful as the first night I saw him at Fangtasia. There was one exception though; there was a long thin delicate looking scar on his neck. As he looked at me he realized I was his Sookie from long ago. He smiled as he took me in his arms and he drew in a deep breath as he whispered,

"Still Fae, you are still human/Fae. Our time is short and I cannot tell you what is going to happen or what needs to be done. We have been warned against that but I will tell you that you need to be brave. You must be the warrior that you truly are; you will have to fight for our love and for me. You will have to be braver than even you believe you can be. Then, when you have been pushed to the limit, you will have to trust in our love and bond like never before. When you want to give up, I want you to think of this moment; think of our children and soldier on knowing that I love you. You must never forget I love you. I will never leave you and you…you never run, not even when you should…you never ran." He paused as he held me against him again as I whispered,

"They are beautiful Eric, our babies are beautiful." And with that I was still in his arms but back in our bedroom looking up into his beautiful blue eyes. Had I dreamed it or had I really held them just then? My unspoken question was answered when I opened my hand and pressed to my palm was the flower Adele had handed to me.

Eric looked at me strangely "Sookie, are you back with me?"

What the hell?

**A/N: Well, well, well, what do you think Momma Minion is up to now? And just when you know or think you know… I will throw you a curve ball…mmmmaaaaawwwww… BUT I love you all my sweet baby minions! ****Remember to submit your story to the contest I am hosting with Sassy. We have some kickass judges like KJWRIT and SUKI59 we are going to have a snarky blast! HUGS **


	34. Chapter 34  It Does

Chapter 34 – It Does

A/N: Have I mentioned that I loved my BETA's? well I do! **Sassyvampmama** and **Kjwrit** are the bestest girls in the whole wide world….poor sassy though… didn't know she took me to raise…haha! Love you girl! I hope you guys are able to review. I was not able to review some of my favorite stories today. BOO... I love the feedback and the love! & I love giving it back! HUGS:)

_**LAST TIME: (A nice quiet family Dinner turned into words that could not be undone, turmoil and trouble for our girl Sookie and our beloved Eric, but it was Tuesday after all. And just when you think a little Viking loving is going to set it all to right…bam… Sookie is transported over time and space.)**_

_**SPOV: "Oh mommy, just know that everything is going to be okay. We love you so much." And with that my children embraced me. I clung to them and kissed their faces. I looked at Lars and said,**_

_"**You look so much like your daddy. But the Twins, they look like me a little bit, but you not a trace except your chin. All three of you have my chin." Weeping I kept holding them and kissing their faces until I heard a familiar voice,**_

_"**What is all this? Why are my best girls crying and my men allowing it?" his voice was concerned all the while teasing. He was still just as beautiful as the first night I saw him at Fangtasia. There was one exception there was a long thin delicate looking scar on his neck. As he looked at me as he realized I was his Sookie from long ago. He smile and took me in his arms. He drew in a deep breath as he whispered,**_

_"**Still Fae, you are still human/Fae. Our time is short and I cannot tell you what is going to happen or what needs to be done. We have been warned against that but I will tell you that you need to be brave. You must be the warrior that you truly are; you will have to fight for our love and for me. You will have to be braver than even you believe you can be. Then when you have been pushed to the limit you will have to trust in our love and bond like never before. When you want to give up, I want you to think of this moment; think of our children and soldier on knowing that I love you. You must never forget I love you. I will never leave you and you…you never run not even when you should…you never ran." He pause as he held me against him again as I whispered,**_

_"**They are beautiful Eric, our babies are beautiful." And with that I was still in his arms but back in our bedroom looking up into his beautiful blue eyes. Had I dreamed it or had I really held them just then I opened my hand and pressed to my palm was the flower Adele had handed to me.**_

_**Eric looked at me questioningly "Sookie, are you back with me?"**_

_**What the hell?**_

**EPOV**

It was obvious to me when Sookie shook her head and looked at me that she was not really ready to talk about what had happened. She had been so far away and I was concerned as to whether or not she was really back with me.

"Are you alright Lover?" I asked as she looked at her hand that held a tiny rose. I wondered how she came to have it in her hand as she began to talk.

"I saw them, I held them; it was real." She said cryptically.

"Our children, you saw them?"

"Yes, I was there. In the future with them I held them."

"Sookie, you have been here in my arms. I don't see how…"

"This rose, Addie gave me this rose. We call her Addie, not Adele, and we have another son in addition to the twins. We have Adele and CJ but we also have Lars, he's our baby." I was shocked at that. My youngest son from my human days, the one it hurt so badly to talk of, was Lars. He had been my baby son too, but I had failed him. I pulled Sookie to me as she explained what happened.

"You came into the kitchen while I was there too. You were still just as beautiful and you loved me so much. Our bond is somehow stronger… You have a scar here…" she pointed to my neck. I sat and listened to her incredible story as she continued on. "You came in and said that I had to be a warrior. I had to be strong and trust in our love. I had to believe in us and our children. You couldn't tell me what happens though because it was something about we were warned against doing. Eric I'm scared. I'm so scared. Whatever is coming is going to be horrific. I'm so scared." And with that she pressed in against me as tightly as she could. It was as if she was attempting to crawl inside me and I found myself wishing there was a way to allow her to do so.

"Sookie, whatever it is that happens, we make it through it. You saw the future. You saw us; our family and we are intact and together." I tried to comfort her hoping my words would help assuage her worry.

"You touched the scar when you were talking to me. I think you must get hurt badly at some point in the future and that is why I have to be brave. Why does everyone have to be against us? Why can't we just be a normal couple? Why do we have to fight so hard all the time to just be together?" she cried half in frustration and half in fear.

"Life is hard, my sweet wife. No one has ever been promised an easy go of it; everyone has trials and tribulations they must bear. But those times are what draw us close and show us what we are made of, they show us how to love and forgive, making us stringer for it in the end." I tried to explain. Sometimes I forget how young she is and how damn old I am. I have seen and lived through hells that I would never want Sookie to know of or even think about, but she needs to see that, our life, while difficult, is worth whatever fight we must endure.

"Eric, I get that, but I am so damn tired of fighting and people trying to kill me. What if I mess up? What if I make one wrong move? I could cost us our life together. I could cost us our family. What if I lose you Eric? I can't live like that. I can't live without you." And with that she was sobbing all over again.

"Sookie, you are not going to lose me. Now tell me again, exactly what did I say to you when we met in the future. Word for word, sometimes there is meaning behind my wording that you do not know." I tried to get her to focus on a specific task so that she would be able to calm down knowing by the gods I hated it when she cried.

"You said I was…Still Fae/human" She hiccupped out to me.

"Alright, that leads me to believe you were vampire in that time if I noted you were still as you are now."

"Yes, I suppose I could have been turned. Addie was shocked that I was up because it was late afternoon. They were coming in from somewhere, but I didn't ask. So yes, I could have been turned, but they weren't that surprised either so maybe I am a daywalker...I don't know."

"What else, think Sookie, think." I prodded her to go on even though she was confused.

"You seemed to know that I was coming. Addie and the boys said I had warned them this would happen and not to tell me anything of the past. You knew that we didn't have much time…You said we had been warned not to talk about the past or what was coming." She paused as she tried to think of more.

"Did I say who warned us?"

"No." she answered.

"Alright, I will have to think on that; perhaps Niall or Marcus were afraid we could somehow shift the outcome of events that take place in the future if we warned our past selves of what was to come." Now there was a sentence you don't say every day.

"You said that I had to be brave, you said I would have to be the warrior. 'The warrior I truly was meant to be so I could fight for our love and for you'. You also said that 'I would have to be braver than I thought I could be.' I think that is what frightened me the most. That's when you touched the scar on your neck."

"I know what that means, I will be taken." I said quietly. I thought of keeping it from her, but from the way that phrase was worded and knowing my own mind, I had to prepare her now for the possibility of her having to be brave without my presence.

"NO! No, I won't let anyone take you or hurt you. I kill them all; every last one of them. NO!" and she clung to me even harder than before.

"Sookie, calm down and try to remember the rest. Please Lover, this is important." I cooed and coaxed. She drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"Then you said, 'when you have been pushed to the limit you will have to trust in our love and bond like never before. When you want to give up, I want you to think of this moment; think of our children and soldier on knowing that I love you. You must never forget I love you. I will never leave you and you…you never run not even when you should…you never ran.'That was all; then I was back here with you." When she said this I felt myself shudder, this could only mean but one thing.

"I hurt you, somehow I hurt you. I was preparing you for a loss of control on my part. Sookie, I am going to lose control and..." I was at a loss for words not wanting to believe for a moment I could even be capable of such a betrayal of my feelings for her.

"No honey you could never harm me, never. I don't believe that." She cooed and stroked my back. She whispered loving words in my ear all the while I feared that I would take her by force; I would turn her by force, and that she would let me was my greatest fear in that moment.

**SPOV**

Eric was clinging to me as I had to him earlier in the night. I stroked his back and then his face as I pulled back to look into his troubled eyes. I kissed his lips, eyes and cheeks lightly as I whispered,

"Have I ever told you that you smell like the sea?" He shook his head "no", unable to speak to me due to the emotions I could feel flooding our shared bond.

"Well, you do. You smell like the sea and of musky earth. I love the way you smell and the way your skin feels against mine. Your hands are rough from your time as a sailor and your eyes are weathered from your years on this earth, but they're both still so beautiful to me. Every time I look at you I find another reason to love you a little bit more. There is a light in your eyes when you smile that I only see when it is you and I alone. I love that; that there is a part of you that you only share with me and that I am the only person who is given the gift of seeing that light." I paused as he seemed to want to speak to me.

"I am supposed to be comforting you Lover, but you surprise me yet again by comforting me instead. What did I do to deserve you, Sookie? What did I ever do? I was a failure as a husband and as a father. The only thing I have ever been good at is killing, so how on earth is it that I deserve to have you, how?" he said with a voice of steel that let me know he was heading into that deep dark place that he retreats to when cornered.

"You were a wonderful father who loved his children. You loved your wife, but Eric, you were only 15 years old when you married Aude, of course you wanted to go out and see the world. Let me ask you something. When you were home, did you tell Aude you love her?"

"Yes."

"Did you think of her when you had to go warring?"

"Yes, every night I prayed to Odin that she would be safe and that the children would be as well."

"When Johan was old enough to go with you on raids did you watch out for him above all others?"

"Yes, of course." That one seemed to get his attention. I knew I had to ask him about Lars and why it hurt him to say his name.

"What happened to Lars?"

"We went to war with a neighboring village and he was taken… His status as the chieftain's son meant his price would have brought much silver, but they asked for nothing. It turned out they wanted to hurt…me, but could not so they hurt him; they hurt my son. I rescued him but he had been abused in such a way as to humiliate him the most… I killed them all Sookie. I killed everyone in that damn village. I killed men, women and almost a child but he stopped me… he told me the child brought him water… my son was afraid of me in that moment. I was covered in blood and I only wanted to hold him, but he shied away from me because he saw I could be every bit the same as the monsters who took him."

"How old was he?"

"I don't really know. Johan was old enough to be counted a man so he would have been 12 at least. It was right before I was turned, before the baby and Aude died. I think he was probably 10 as there was 2 summers between Johan and Lars, so yes he would have been around 10."

"Eric, you did what any dad would do. You saved your son at any cost. I think that if you had had more time with him, you would have eventually worked through it all. You got home, your baby and then your wife died, you were taking care of Aunna and she was so little. You did the best you could do with the hand you were dealt. You ran out of time with them due to Ocella. He stole them from you. You didn't leave them Eric, you didn't abandon them. You were a good father and you will be a good father again when our children are born." I comforted.

"How do you know that? How do you know I was a good father?"

"I know it is going to sound really, really creepy, but I know by the way you have treated me and the way you treat Pam and Belinda. You know at first for us I was just this young girl you wanted to protect for reasons that neither one of us understood. You worried about me when you didn't have too. You are a good man Eric Northman. There were so many times you could have just walked away or turned away from me and you didn't. You are so gentle with Belinda and you tolerate Pam so that in and of itself speaks volumes of your parenting ability." I smiled at him sent him love.

"You're right it is creepy…" and a smile followed by a laugh escaped his throat as he continued, "you reminded me more of Aude than anyone had in centuries when I first met you. You just would not back down and when it would have behooved you to just shut up, you just kept on fighting. You never showed any fear and neither would she. I never really viewed you as a child I always saw you as a woman. Perhaps, when we first met I thought I could keep you at bay and out of my heart if I only thought of you as someone to protect, but you found your way inside me from almost the very first moment, so really, I didn't stand a chance." He sighed and smiled as he closed his eyes and pulled me to him.

"I love you Eric. I love you and I will protect you. No one is going to ruin our life together. I won't allow it. I finally have you and by God I will not leave you. I don't care if I have to kill every FOTS member and every Fae in Faery, I will never leave you and you are not going to be lost to me…ever." I said and meant every word. If it came to it, I would kill my own family to protect him, but I prayed it would not come to that.

"I love you too my sweet wife. I am glad you got to see our children. I know that gives you comfort." He smiled at me and I somehow felt lighter. I kissed him and he kissed me, each of us seeking comfort in the other, and as the kiss deepened I knew exactly where this was leading and I was more than happy to comply with his wishes.

**EPOV **

She was magnificent and I would spend the rest of my existence loving her. I took her from my lap where she had crawled while comforting me and laid her back on the bed. It never ceased to amaze me how tiny she looked in the middle of our large bed. She was looking at me with her eyes full of love reminding me of our time spent by her fireplace.

"What are you thinking?" she whispered as she caught me starring at her and smiling.

"I was remembering our time at your home. You are looking at me the same way you did that night in front of the fireplace. There is love shining out of your eyes for me now as it was then. I love you Sookie I love you. Let me worship you…let me…" and with that I was lost in her. I was lost in her touch and the simple feeling of her skin on mine. I could feel her breathing on my skin and it was warm and comforting to me. I continued to kiss her neck and made a slow path down her collarbone then back up again to behind her ear.

"You taste so good Lover. I want more; I have to have more." I growled as I began a slow decent down her trembling body. I whispered "I love you" over and over as I made my way to her gorgeous nipples that were already hard, waiting for my attention, and as she arched into my mouth she gasped out in pleasure. Her hands were in my hair and ground my face down on her breast only making my arousal and desire for her burn brighter. I slipped my hand between her legs as I tested her wetness and she screamed out my name. In that moment I knew I had to taste her at her core. I needed those delicious juices in my mouth.

"Lay back Lover… easy… lay back…" I coaxed as I kissed her inner thighs and listened to her beg.

"Oh please yes Eric… please lick me… please baby please I need your tongue on me…ahh..."

"You never have to beg Sookie. Only you can command me… all you have to do is say it Lover, say what you want… you know what it does to me…" I spoke to her with my mouth an inch away from her hot little core and she was wiggling and pushing herself toward my mouth.

"Lick my little pussy Eric. I need you so bad baby." She panted out and I gladly complied. I kissed her sweet swollen outer lips and just enjoyed the heat of them on my mouth. I pressed my face into her core and just rubbed myself there for a moment or two, allowing her scent to mark me as hers. I readjusted her on the bed and then lifted her by her sweet ass up to my face. I used my thumbs to spread her apart, and licked her throbbing little nub as she gasped and reached out for the headboard. She gripped the damn thing like it was lifeline and she was lost at sea drowning. She thrashed about as I pleased her slipping my finger inside her at the same moment I gently sucked her clit into my mouth. That was all it took, I felt her walls clench down on me and her juices filled my mouth.

She recovered quickly as she pushed me onto my back and went down on me like a pro. I have had Queens to peasants and everything in between, but nothing and no one had ever or would ever compare to Sookie and what she could do to me and my body. My erection was throbbing and I wanted nothing more than to come in her sweet mouth, but I wanted inside her core. I needed to fill her womb with my seed and dream of the day it would mean something more than a means of pleasure only. Love filled my heart as I pulled her up and whispered her name,

"Sookie…Sookie…" I took her once more and laid her on her back. I looked down into her eyes as I said,

"Let me love you… let me…" and with that I spread her sweet legs apart very gently. I kissed her lips as I pressed inside her and felt her fingers grip me with her nails digging in my back, so I slowed my entry, knowing that when she changed from nails to finger tips, she was adjusted to my size. I held still until she began to writhe on me and it was heaven. Her grip on my back changed and I knew that I could begin to move in earnest so I thrust into her and listened as she moaned her approval as her magic swirled around us.

"Love you so much… feels so good…mmmm…" her sweet words spurred me on only wanting to make her peak again so then I could let myself go. And with that wish she screamed out and I felt her walls once again clench only this time around my hard cock instead of my fingers. When her sweet pussy clamped down on me it was my undoing; I came hard and brought her yet again with me. I collapsed down on her for a moment before rolling us to our sides. The room was still full of the light coming from her it was always a magical sight.

I stroked her hair and whispered sweet words of love to her for what felt like hours. I heard her breathing change and knew that she had fallen asleep so I reluctantly left her there on the bed for a moment while I procured a warm cloth to clean her. I then went into our closet and sought out her favorite T-Shirt to sleep in before going back to the bed. I looked down lovingly at her sleeping form as I gently cleaned her. She moaned a little when I dried between her legs and I lifted her as I put her t-shirt on having to shush her back to sleep when she seemed to wake for a moment,

"Shush, Sookie…sleep… I'm just putting your t-shirt on you… sleep…" and I smiled as I watched her cuddle back down into the bed all the while pulling me with her. She wanted me to hold her so I did I laid there for a very long time holding my entire world in my arms realizing I was completely content and that one feeling had been centuries in the making.

I had been in down time for a couple of hours when Sookie woke with a start,

"NOOOOO!" she screamed as she gasped for air. I pulled her tighter against me as I whispered,

"You are safe… Lover…you are safe." I held her while she held onto me for dear life. Her entire body trembled and shook like a leaf in the wind leaving her unable to speak at first. She would just look at me with hollowed eyes and stroke my hair and face. She kissed my face gently and rubbed her cheek against mine as she continued to tremble while I just held her close to me and rocked her gently. I could feel through the bond that she needed to be held and comforted, so that's what I did. She was quietly begging me through our bond to calm her so calm is what I sent back to her, but she was too far gone for that alone to work at the moment.

I could feel Pam and Laurell through the bond that I shared with them and knew that they would have to be addressed. I could feel Pam was now closing in on Sookie and me and that Laurell had now returned to the main house as well. I could feel the turmoil inside all of the women I loved, my mother, my child and my wife were all falling to pieces and there seemed to be little I could do to stop it. Pam was currently realizing that I had changed the security code to the door and she was not happy.

"Pam, you can't break down the door so quit trying. I need a moment with Sookie. I will bring her up shortly." My bond with Laurell was practically screaming,

'_Viking, what is happening with my grand-daughter? Eric Northman, you answer me this instant!' _I tried to send her calm as well and reassure her that Sookie was fine but my emotions were tied so tightly to Sookie's at the moment and I couldn't conjure one more moment of peace.

I cradled my panic stricken wife to my chest and murmured soft words of love to her. She was clad only in the t-shirt that I had put on her hours before, so I picked up the pants from the discarded track suit she'd worn earlier and slipped them up her legs. She shook as I tried to extract myself from her to dress her and take care of her. I attempted to retrieve her track suit jacket from the closet, but she tightened her grip on me as her level of anxiety rose so I stopped trying to dress her for a moment. When her anxiety seemed to lessen, however minutely, I resumed my task with her watching every move I made and would reach out to touch my arm or my hair as if she did not believe I was there.

"Sookie, can you talk to me yet?" She shook her head no and burrowed against me. Then after a few more minutes she shook her head as if to clear cobwebs and reluctantly let go of me. She lit her hands and looked at them with curiosity before looking at me and saying,

"I watched you... I saw you incinerate. I felt our bond breaking; I won't survive it." She sat for a moment more before she whispered, "I need to talk to the others now. It could have just been a dream or it could have been the future. I don't want to know yet; I just want to be in your arms until dawn."

"Lover, I will do anything you ask of me." She nodded in response with a short sweet smile, but it failed to reach her eyes. I called out to Pam and Laurell and I waited for a moment while Sookie adjusted the track suit jacket over her t-shirt. Sookie stood and walked to our door, punched in the key code and walked to the elevator and I followed behind her unsure of what the immediate future held. As we ascended to the kitchen I continued to send her love and calm through our bond hoping it would help, not knowing what else to do.

I watched a near lifeless Sookie walk into Laurell's embrace. Lillianna, Pam and Belinda also hugged Sookie, but then something odd happened. Belinda, Laurell and Lillianna encircled Sookie embracing her closely and the room lit up like lightning had struck metal. It only lasted a moment, but I felt through the bond something was different and she looked defiant as if something in her had shifted.

She said nothing to them, only holding them for a moment before nodding in Marcus' general direction and walking back to the elevators,

"If they want a fight, I will give them a fight! If they think I am so damn dangerous… well I'm gonna show them just how dangerous I am. Tomorrow night we all start training… tomorrow night we get ready for war. I am done waiting. I'm done." No one responded to her rambling as I followed her back down stairs wondering how deep into my emotions she was able to burrow because in that moment I knew that look; she was making her own deep place to go when attacked. She was creating her own deep dark hole to retreat to and I hated like hell that she had to do it, but I knew she needed to.

**SPOV**

It was the worst and most realistic nightmare I had ever had in my life. In my nightmare he was bound to a table with iron and silver. There was a long thick silver chain with barbed wire cutting into his neck and he was just beginning to flake as I screamed and flung myself onto him. It was then that the horror ended and I was back in his arms. He was still here; it had been a dream, just a bad, horrible, awful, worst dream ever. He rocked me and cooed to me as he held me near before trying to set me down, several times, but I just could not let go of him.

I had to let my family know I was alright so we went to the kitchen and as I looked in their faces it was then that I realized I could no longer 'wait' for the fight to come to me; I had to prepare for when it was time for me to seek it out first. As the women of my family encircled me, I could feel the Faery magic pulsing through my body and I knew what I had to do, I knew what it would take now. If they were coming for me and mine, I would start gunning for them and theirs. I felt something dark and evil shift inside me as if it were coming to life and God help me, I liked it. It reminded me of when I drained the witch of her power and blood, I knew I should not like it or do it, but I did it.

When we reached the lower levels where our bed chamber laid waiting for us I needed Eric in the worst way. As soon as he closed the door I told him the cold hard truth,

"I'm becoming someone I don't recognize in the mirror anymore Eric. Will you still love me when I'm a monster?"

"We are all monsters on some level, my Lover. I will always love you and I will never leave you." He believed every word he was saying to me and I needed that. I needed his reassurance that we would find a way to happily ever after.

"Eric, will you feed me? I'm hungry." I confessed.

"Of course Lover." He pulled me close and offered his neck to me in total submission. My teeth had elongated but somehow they felt different as the descended. My need for his blood was different too. It felt like I was starving for him; for blood, his blood. I sank my teeth into his neck and as his blood hit my mouth I bit again and again making sure the wound stayed open. I managed to mumble out,

"Drink from me Eric, drink now." As I continued to drink him down I laid back on the bed to allow my vampire a good long feed. I held his head in place as he drank moaning and groaning as he began to grind his body against me. He ripped the pants from my body as I did away with my t-shirt longing to feel him against me. His body was magnificent it was as if he was stalking me. He growled at me as I moved on the bed. I was simply getting to the center of the bed but he took it as if I were trying to escape him.

He grabbed me and snarled, "Mine… don't run from me little faery…" With that I knew what game he wanted so I purred,

"Master, I was only moving on the bed…" He gripped me by my hair and yanked my head back. He was totally drunk… totally and I was more than a little worried at first, but I trusted our bond completely, so I relaxed in his arms.

"You may only move when I allow it little faery…my sweet little faery…"

"Yes, my master, whatever you say." I whispered as I batted my eyes at him.

"Spread your legs faery; show me how wet you are for me and only me." he ordered and I gladly complied. I reached down and coated my fingers in my wetness and then offered those fingers to him. He licked them one by one until I was almost dizzy with anticipation.

"Master, please love me and I need more of you master I'm so hungry, please master please…" He conceded to my pleas as he slipped inside my hot wet core and I sank my teeth back into his neck. He did not drink from me this time, but I drank from him as if my life depended on it and somewhere in the back of my mind I heard,

'It does.'

**A/N: mmmm… dum dum dum… So what's up with that Baby Minions… Never fear Momma Minion had a plan. HUGS**


	35. Chapter 35 Training and Traps

**Chapter 35 – Training and Traps**

**A/N:** As always, I own nothing…CH does. Okay guys I am thinking a **few more chappies** and then a **short break** before we start _"A Wedding to Remember"_which to be honest will be short... then_"A Honeymoon to Remember"_ that will tie is some big plot lines that I have eluded to in this story… Then _"A Life of Love Remembered"_ my plan is that will be a longer multi chappy that will end the "Remember" saga. Please remember to **Author Alert 'cause I am 99% sure I am going to separate** them out from here.

**ONE MORE THING** I own nothing and I love my Beta team of **Sassyvampmama & KJWRIT**

_**LAST TIME: (Sookie saw her and Eric's children. They have a sweet love scene and then she wakes from a horrible nightmare but is unsure if it was just a nightmare of a flash of the future. She is shaken but it gives her great resolve.)**_

**SPOV**

"**Eric, will you feed me? I'm hungry." I confessed.**

"**Of course, Lover." He pulled me close and offered his neck to me in total submission. My teeth had elongated, but somehow they felt different as the descended. My need for his blood was different too I was starving for him for blood. I sank my teeth into his neck and as his blood hit my mouth I bit again and again making sure the wound stayed open. I managed to mumble out,**

"**Drink from me Eric, drink now." As I continued to drink him down I laid back on the bed to allow my vampire a good long feed. I held his head in place as he drank. He moaned and groaned as he began to grind his body against me. He ripped the pants from my body as I did away with my t-shirt longing to feel him against me. His body was magnificent it was as if he was stalking me. He growled at me as I moved on the bed. I was simply getting to the center of the bed but he took it as if I were trying to escape him.**

**He grabbed me and snarled, "Mine… don't run from me little faery…" With that I knew what game he wanted so I purred,**

"**Master, I was only moving on the bed…" He gripped me by my hair and yanked my head back. He was totally drunk… totally and I was more than a little worried but I trusted our bond so I relaxed in his arms.**

"**You may only move when I allow it little faery…my sweet little faery…" **

"**Yes, master whatever you say." I whispered as I batted my eyes at him.**

"**Spread your legs faery show me how wet you are for me and only me." he ordered and I gladly complied. I reached down and coated my fingers in my wetness then I offered those fingers to him. He licked them one by one until I was almost dizzy with anticipation. **

"**Master, please love me and I need more of you master I'm so hungry, please master please…" He conceded to my pleas as he slipped inside my hot wet core and I sank my teeth back into his neck. He did not drink from me this time, but I drank from him as if my life depended on it and somewhere in the back of my mind I heard,**

'**It does.'**

**EPOV**

She had drunk more of my blood in a one hour period than Pam had the entire first night when she rose. But I could hear Sookie's heart beat and it was strong though her breathing was slightly erratic. That was probably due to her riding me as if she were never going to get to love me again. She was drunk…drunk off of me, and I had no explanation for it. I was buried deep inside her and as I thrust myself against her she drank again, only this time she took deeper and longer mouthfuls of my blood. I was actually beginning to feel almost light headed and instinct made me call out to her,

"Sookie, stop Lover… you are draining me… you must stop…please…" she immediately withdrew her fangs but they looked different somehow to me. She looked at me as if she were seeing me for the first time, as if she did not know me. She very lovingly stroked my hair but she was still not with me. Then very suddenly she looked shocked and then she whispered,

"Did I hurt you?" she winced as she retreated from my arms and scooted across the bed.

"No Lover. You stopped when I asked. Why did you take so much? Were you that hungry Sookie?"

"Yes. I felt like I was starving. I need the blood…your blood, but I don't know why." I sat up in the bed and pulled her back into my lap as I stroked her hair in an effort to comfort her.

"Sookie, don't worry, I think this is normal. We will probably need to trade blood more often. Tonight, I think it has just been so long since we swapped blood or that you drank from me that you had to have more than normal." Was what I offered, but somewhere deep in my soul I knew that was not the case. She felt different. She felt odd, but I could not put my finger on what I was feeling.

"Eric, do you think I am close to turning…you know accidentally like you told me about before?"

"No, this is something else, but we are not going to worry about anything else tonight. We have enough on the horizon to keep us busy for some time." I smiled and made her grin her little worried smile, but it was a start. "Sookie, what type of training do you want to start tomorrow night, swords, hand to hand or your magic?" I thought keeping her proactive was best at this point.

"I need to know everything you know about swords, just in case you are right and you are not there for me to dip into your mind."

"Alright, I will teach you swords, Sven will teach you hand to hand and Lillianna and Laurell will work with you on your Fae magic." I suggested.

"Why would you not be the one to teach me hand to hand?"

"You will be able to read me too easily. When your knowledge and skill level has improved and we start to practice combat with swords, your instructor will have to be Sven as well."

"Alright and I want to work with Laurell and Lillianna but I want to work with Niall and Claudine too. I know you don't trust them, but I do." And with that the Queen had spoken. I pulled her to me and cuddled her close to me for a moment before she winced and said,

"I have to go to the bathroom. I feel sticky. I'm going to clean up and YOU SIR… need to find MY t-shirt." She giggled as she poked me in the chest with her little finger before kissing me in that same spot. We were both worried, but we chose to be happy in our bond and in our deep love for each other in these final moments before dawn. She was gone long enough for me to follow her into the shower to bathe with her. She smiled as I entered the shower and I knew she was thinking of our first shower together. I always thought of it too, every shower, every time, that moment was always brought back to my mind. The moment I loved her physically for the first time, God I hope I was gentle enough with her that night. Knowing now what I didn't know then, our first time was the first time she was physical with a man after her rape. I wish I had known. I held her close and whispered,

"I love you. If I'm ever too rough with you Lover all you have to do is tell me." she looked at me so sadly as she spoke,

"What is this about? You are always wonderful with me and to me. Please stop worrying about the past. Stop thinking about what Uncle Bartlett and Bill did to me. You have healed me from it. I don't think about it anymore so I don't want you to either." She reached up and stroked my hair as we exited the shower and she began to dry me with a big fluffy towel.

"There are others who have harmed you. The man in Dallas, had Godfrey not killed him I would have. I will never forget those bruises on your arms and chest. You looked so delicate that night; as if I spoke too loudly you would have broken. Yes… yes… I think it was in Dallas…" I said the last part more to myself than to her as she smiled at me and confessed,

"I wanted to let you carry me inside the hotel that night when you asked, but I was still afraid of you. You have to remember that Bill was still feeding me a line of crap about how dangerous you were and that you would harm me if you had to." She paused for a moment, "But before that night I had never felt safe with you and afterwards I did. Something in me changed while you were caring for me. I watched your eyes as you picked the glass out of my arm; your eyes were so soft and gentle looking. Your voice was soft and soothing as you talked to me about anything and everything to help me be brave." She stopped again and laughed to herself as she continued,

"I always thought the moment I trusted you was the night you took me to the orgy, but it was Dallas, it was that moment when you helped me… when you told me to be brave. I knew I could trust you. I knew you'd never hurt me. I just knew it." She held my hand as we climbed into bed together.

"You were very brave my Lover, I don't think Pam could've handled the situation better. A lesser woman would have passed out, but not my Sookie, no not you." I kissed the top of her head as I felt her smile into my chest.

"Sookie, why did you go back? Why did you feel you had to go see Godfrey? He could have turned on you." I asked her quietly.

"Everyone deserves to have someone with them when they die. My Gran was alone. Rene…he stabbed her all those times and he ran…he just left her there in all that blood alone…it had just happened not long before we went to Dallas and I couldn't let him die alone, not after what he did for me. He saved me when I was all alone and scared. I owed him that much." She explained and I just looked at her in wonder and amazement.

"Sookie you are the most interesting creature I have ever encountered. You have the greatest capacity to love and I am proud that you are my wife." I smiled and she blushed as she said,

"I love you Eric. I love you so much. You make me feel so precious."

"I love you too my wonderful, sweet, caring wife. You are my world, my everything and I adore you." I knew that she knew the dawn was about to take me but before I could say anything else she kissed my chest and said,

"Rest well, I will see you tonight. I love you." and with that I was dead to the world.

**SPOV**

I woke up feeling like a million dollars. I felt incredible. I had felt groggy for days but this morning I felt wonderful. I looked at the clock and saw why; I had slept until 1 o'clock. Since I had showered before going to bed I simply washed off before dressing and headed up to the kitchen. Belinda and Lillianna were waiting for me.

"Good morning Sookie, how are you?" Belinda asked with her large doe eyes full of concern.

"I feel great. I guess I just needed to sleep because I feel incredible this morning. I feel like I could run a marathon and win!" I practically giggled out.

"Well then, let's get some food in you so we can start training. Claudine will be here soon so we need to get a good start before she pops in." Lillianna explained.

I was excited to get started on learning more about my powers and how they worked considering most of the time I was just flying by the seat of my pants when I had used them in the past. If I was going to protect Eric and the rest of my family I needed to know exactly what I was capable of and how to access the abilities at a moment's notice. I ate hurriedly, cleaned up the kitchen and we began to go out into the back yard to start training. We had been working on 'throwing' light at stationary targets when Claudine popped onto the yard and said,

"That is all fine and good, but what if they are moving targets?" and with that she threw something up into the air and we were being swarmed. The targets all seemed to be self aware and moved like lightning. She was right this was harder… much harder. I remembered how I was afraid to use my powers in the fight in New Orleans for fear of hitting one of my vamps. Claudine was right; we needed control our light so we could use it in a fight. We worked for nearly 30 minutes trying to take out all the targets before Lillianna and Claudine took pity on us and evaporated the last two that had evaded us the longest.

We worked on pulling our magic to ourselves and pushing it out and around us for shielding. I was pretty good at that one since I remembered how I used the shield in New Orleans but what I did not know is that I could spread it out and cover someone else. Belinda was picking up everything but was having some trouble holding the shield. Claudine assured her it would just take time. I hoped we had time, but I had the sinking feeling that we did not.

We broke around 5:00 in the evening so I could shower up and clean up before Eric rose. I was in the shower when I felt the bond come buzzing to life. I can always feel him even when he is asleep but when he wakes it is like little butterflies in my stomach and static on my arms.

"Mmmm Lover, you smell so good, like faery, sweat and fighting…mmm" he growled out as he kissed my neck after climbing into the shower with me.

"Eric, I have had such a great day. I feel so good. I wasn't tired at all today. It made me feel so good to be able to train with the girls and tonight I wanna train with Sven okay?" I babbled on and on.

"You haven't been down here today?"

"No, not 'til just now, why?"

"You smell heavily of me. I just thought you had stayed in the resting chamber with me."

"No, I mean I did until 1 this afternoon but I have been working out until about…oh…15 minutes ago or so." I advised and he looked odd but shook his head and kinda shrugged. I was not quite sure what that meant. We dressed and went upstairs, but what happened next I was not expecting. Pam turned around from where she was standing her eyes flew open and grabbed me up hugging me and saying,

"Oh Sookie, Sookie how? This is wonderful! A sister, finally a sister." She laughed and giggled before she sat me down, "Oh you must be starving, let me get you a blood and then I will take you out to hunt… Oh Eric PLEASE let me take her or at least go with you two…please…it's her first night vampire and… "

"Pam what are talking about? I am not a vampire." I cut her off.

"Yes you are." She said as she looked at me like I had two heads.

"NOOO, I'm not…feel heartbeat…starving yes but for that cheeseburger you are about to grill not blood." I took Pam's hand and put it to my chest and she looked odd.

"But… you smell exactly like Eric and I feel you so strongly." she said totally confused.

"She drank heavily from me last night. She was run down and her body needed a great deal of my blood. I think that is why she smells like she does." Eric offered that as an explanation to Pam.

"Oh, well good, I need to give you a manicure and pedicure the night before he does turn you. Not to mention that you'll probably want to wax…everything… so you don't have to deal with that, let me tell you it is a pain in the ass to have to shave for eternity…" and with that she walked away trying not to act disappointed. I knew then that I had to let Pam know why I was putting off Eric turning me.

"Pam, can I talk to you for a minute?" she nodded without turning so I just started explaining.

"Pam, I am putting off Eric turning me for a reason, well 3 very good reasons. Eric and I are going to have children. I know it sounds crazy but we are going to have…" and before I could finish she turned and said,

"Addie, CJ and Lars." she whispered it out and looked faraway like she did not believe what she was saying. "I dream of them… I saw them… I thought I was going crazy… I was afraid to say anything."

"When?" was my question.

"Last night and when I rose this evening."

"The blood, the strengthening of our bond is allowing her to see what we see." Was the conclusion Eric came to for all of us.

"So babies, we will have babies…" she said with a hint of intimidation to her voice before shaking it off and saying, "Well then, I of course, will be planning the baby showers and I will be Aunt Pam… no 'Pammy' crap… we will need to start working on the construction of a nursery wing to the house… they of course will only wear the finest clothes… I swear Sookie if I see one Wal-Mart bag…" and I was no longer able to hold myself back when I threw myself at her hugging her tightly. There was something about being able to tell my best friend this secret that somehow now made it real. That made me think of Gran and I teared up a little bit but I pulled it together as everyone started coming into the kitchen looking for food or blood.

"We need to buy baby beds, but I will need little bed side cribs for when they are infants…" I started to say but Eric cut me off with,

"They will sleep with us."

"Ummm… no they won't. We could roll over on them and kill them. I swear Eric you way a ton!" He looked at me like I had two heads, God I was sick of that reaction from people.

"Sookie, I have fathered 3 children and …"

"And it was a thousand years ago…things have changed we can get a "Moses bed" to put in the bed with us when they are newborns, but I really want them to have a nursery with little cribs and changing tables and all the things I never had…" I realized I wanted the nursery for all the wrong reasons but Eric seemed to understand.

"We will have the finest nursery the world has ever seen, my wife." He smiled and that was all I needed. I saw Laurell looking at us with her mother's worried stare but she smiled and waved her hand at us as if to say 'all will be well.'

After everyone had a quick bite we moved on to sparring and training. Laurell was quick…damn quick. She could kick my butt and all but best Eric. Marcus stood back and grinned at us all. He was too powerful to spar with any of us, but he would instruct us as we picked up each new weapon or each new move. Sven was impressed with Belinda and me and what we had learned to do in one afternoon. Livy was working with swords and Eric was training her. It seemed that Eric wanted Sven to train me and Sven wanted Eric to train Livy. I thought it must have been a man thing or perhaps it was just that neither wanted to actually spar with the woman that they loved.

And that was the way of it for a couple of weeks. We would go about our business at Fangtasia and around the state, but we always made time to train and learn to work as a team. We even included Alcide and his pack in some of our training. Niall and Claudine continued to work with us during the day and they would also come to what I started referring to as "joint" training. Jason had started to come and go as well, and while all of this was happening, he had fallen in love with some girl from Hot Shot. The same one that caused all his problems to begin with, but he loved Crystal and I tried to be cordial. I blamed her on some level for what had happened to Jason, but he was happier as a were-panther than he had ever been as just a plain ole human. Jason and Calvin came for some of the sessions as well and that made me happy. Felipe and Constance came to one of our sessions since they were still in Louisiana, but they left to go home to their respective states.

I wondered how they did that. How could you live apart from the one that you loved? Felipe explained that they had responsibilities and one day when 'I was older' I would understand. Eric, Felipe, Marcus, Laurell and Niall were constantly reminding me how 'young' I was. They thought it was reckless of me to want to make an unprovoked attack on the FOTS and Breandan, but I thought, no I knew it was the right thing to do even if no one else thought so.

Belinda had started spending more and more time with Bobby and his 'family.' She liked Evelyn well enough but she did not like Jonathan at all. She said that he made her feel uneasy. Bobby explained that Jonathan had been abused and had a hard life. It made him not like strangers and made him very jealous of anyone who took time away from his time with Bobby and Evelyn. Bobby went on to explain that Jon was a Were and that when he 'came out' to his pack they all but threw him out. He was angry with them, he was angry he was gay and just hurt for a long time, but once he met Bobby and Evelyn he seemed to come around and want to be part of a family. Belinda said Eric was a sore spot with Jon as well. He did not like how Bobby was at Eric's beck and call. So while she loved Bobby and always would, she began to limit her time at his home and she tried to just see him at Fangtasia during the day instead.

Belinda was busy enough with going back to school. She received her GED very quickly and was enrolled in the local junior college. She hoped to get good enough grades to transfer to Tulane so she could go to the same school where her mother had attended. She wanted to study psychiatry and counseling so she could help others who had been abandoned and abused like she had been. Belinda was and always would be our little angel, but she was becoming so much more. So confident so different than the battered girl we practically had to scrape off the floor of Fangtasia not so long ago. Her powers were growing and rivaled mine. On days when she had had Pam's blood she could really give me a run for my money, but she kept saying she could feel more power within me that I just was not accessing. That believe it or not was one of her powers; to detect the powers that lay inside another.

Pam was in full on planning mode, demanding Eric and I set a wedding date so that she and Belinda could set a pledging date. She knew that I wanted to surprise Eric with a trip to Sweden after our wedding and that there would be a month's long honeymoon on our part at the very least. She wanted to start booking things as soon as possible, not to mention she was all up in Eric's grill about the nursery, but Eric forbid her to speak of it since he considered it bad luck to speak of the unborn in such a casual manner. He could be so old fashioned to be so forward thinking in other ways.

He was getting ready to open several new businesses one of which was the Nursery Garden/Floral shop I had always wanted to have. It was supposed to be a wedding present, but he needed my input on a few things so he told me about his plan. I openly wept in his arms when he showed me the sketches of the building and land. "A & S Stackhouse Gardens and Floral Shop" would be a reality just like Gran and I had always dreamed of when I was little. I had no idea how I would manage the shop, my training and the fact that Remy was letting us begin to spend time with Hunter.

Hunter was beginning to train with me during the days and I soon would have him stay for a night time training session. He did have Faery traits and he was beginning to show signs of having the power of light. His fingernails would glow much like Belinda's had in the beginning when her powers were new. That fact worried me and Eric. Eric spoke to Hunter about power and the responsibility of it. He also explained how tempting it might be to hurt someone who was thinking something ugly or that had hurt him or bullied him in the past, but that with great power comes great responsibility.

To only be 4 going on 5, he seemed to understand and he was very dedicated to his training even if he could only concentrate for about 15 minutes at a time. For a 4 year old that was pretty impressive in and of itself. I was happy that Remy trusted us and that he considered me family no matter how far removed through Felipe we may be, he still considered me his family and not just Hunter's through Hadley.

I had had a busy day and decided to lie down and take a nap with Eric. It was a good long nap too because I did not wake up on my own. I awoke to a low growl and fangs scrapping across my neck.

"Lover, you smell so damn good…mmmm" was all he said before he flipped me over on my back and ripped open my t-shirt.

"Hey Buddy, you are damn lucky that was not my favorite shirt!" I chastised him but he just kept on his mission to divest me of my clothes.

"Really Lover, what would you have done to me if I would have ripped your precious Louisiana Tech t-shirt?" he grinned his shit eating grin up at me from between my legs.

"First off, you know what that shirt means to me so you would have never ripped it off me. Second, I would have lit up your world Viking! I love that shirt you mean ole vampire and you better not do anything to it!" I teased him and he laughed along with me. I ran my fingers through his hair and looked into his eyes as I realized just how badly I wanted him.

"I want you."

"I know."

"I love you."

"I know"

"Take me Eric, take me." and that was the last coherent sentence I was able to form. He licked, teased and pleased me into oblivion. He offered me his neck and I drank deeply from him. He drank from me in turn and I had never felt closer to him. It was wonderful to have someone know me as well as he knew me and to be able to feel how much he loved me.

The first round had been slow and loving now we picked up the pace as he lifted me on top of him. I straddled him and teased us both with his gracious plenty grazing my swollen throbbing nub. He pushed up and growled at me when I lit my hand and held him in place with it. I rubbed and pleased myself with his body until I felt my undoing. I screamed out his name and no longer being able to concentrate due to the pleasure that was ripping through my body he was able to move. He flipped me to my back and slammed into me with all his might. Every time he filled me this way it was the same, it was just like coming home after a long time away.

He was magnificent as he continued to thrust in and out of me. I looked down between us and just watched the magic of him going in and out, in and out… it was a decadent sight. He was muttering 'I love you' in his native tongue and that was all it took to bring me again. My body clamped down on his he screamed out and spilled into me. He turned us onto our sides and stroked my hair lovingly as he whispered how much he loved me.

Once we got up and took a joint shower. I realized that I had left my cell phone in the kitchen. I was expecting a call from a contractor about the buildings we were breaking ground on for the Nursery Garden, so I hurried my routine along. Eric was anxious for us to have the ground breaking as well.

I located my cell phone and started retrieving messages. I had missed 10 phone calls, 2 from Jason wanting me to call him about Gran's house and why Alcide had dug out the cellar, 1 from the contractor advising he could meet with us at our convenience, and the rest were all from Remy and each one sounded more and more desperate the final one said,

"Sookie, Hunter is missing. No one knows where he is…please call me as soon as you get this." and that was the end. I was turning around to look for Eric when I saw him clutch his heart.

"Someone has taken the boy." and with that I knew Hunter was not just missing but kidnapped. Well hell. I guess I am glad Hunter has some of Eric's blood in him now so we can track him, but would it be enough, was the question?

Before I could voice my question Eric's cell phone rang and I listened as he spoke cryptically into the phone. I could feel his anger through the bond and I tensed beside him.

"I see. Yes, of course I know the place. I will be there within the hour."

"Eric, what, what has happened?"

"It was about Hunter. He said he had 'found' him and would only return him to me."

"Who?"

"Jonathan, Bobby's…_ friend_."

"Eric where are they?"

"Fangtasia."

"Eric you can't go. I think it's a trap."

"I know it's a trap, but he doesn't know I know, that will play in our favor."

"I am going with you."

"No, he said I must come alone that the boy is frightened and asked for only me."

"Eric this is it…isn't it?"

"I don't know Lover. I don't know." he said as he pulled me into his embrace. Just then Belinda burst into the room.

**A/N: dum dum dum…. So Baby Minions, will Eric be in time? Is it a trap? Is Jonathan acting alone? Will my dog ever sleep through the night again? Can I write a chapter and not end it in a cliffie? All valid questions…. And you will have to wait until next Tuesday for the answers. MMMMAAAAAWWWW HUGS, from Momma Minion!**


	36. Chapter 36 Let's Go Save our Boys

Chapter 36 – Let's go save our Boy's

**A/N:** Alright baby minions; **don't hate me it will be okay… trust momma minion!** I love my beta team kjwrit and sassyvampmama; they rock! Please enter the contest I am co-hosting with Sassy **'The Snarky Side Kick'** and as always I own NOTHING… CH owns it all and she is my hero. See you at the bottom and remember to review.

_**LAST TIME: SPOV (Sookie and Eric have been swapping blood regularly and there are small changes to her fangs and physique. They had just had a loving night when Sookie gets a message on her cell phone.)**_

"_**Sookie, Hunter is missing. No one knows where he is…please call me as soon as you get this." and that was the end. I was turning around to look for Eric when I saw him clutch his heart.**_

"_**Someone has taken the boy." And with that I knew Hunter was not just missing but kidnapped. Well hell. I guess I was glad Hunter had some of Eric's blood in him now so we could track him, but would it be enough, was the question?**_

_**Before I could voice my question Eric's cell phone rang and I listened as he spoke cryptically into the phone. I could feel his anger through the bond and I tensed beside him.**_

"_**I see. Yes, I of course I know the place. I will be there within the hour."**_

"_**Eric, what, what has happened?"**_

"_**It was about Hunter. He said he had 'found' him and would only return him to me."**_

"_**Who?"**_

"_**Jonathan, Bobby's… friend."**_

"_**Eric where are they?"**_

"_**Fangtasia."**_

"_**Eric you can't go. I think it's a trap."**_

"_**I know it's a trap, but he doesn't know I know, that will play in our favor."**_

"_**I am going with you."**_

"_**No, he said I must come alone that the boy is frightened and asked for only me."**_

"_**Eric this is it…isn't it?"**_

"_**I don't know Lover. I don't know." He said as he pulled me into his embrace. Just then Belinda burst into the room.**_

**SPOV**

"Something is wrong at Robby's house. He said that he came home and found Evelyn on the floor she was beaten and unconscious. We have to go….what?" Belinda said realizing we already had a situation on our hands.

"It looks like Jonathan has kidnapped Hunter. Evie probably came in on it and tried to save Hunter so Jonathan had no recourse but to get her out of the way." Was Eric's reply to her.

"Why? Why would he do that?" before I could answer her Eric did.

"Money. He said he wanted money." He paused briefly as he turned to me, "I am going to go get the boy. I can handle a rogue Were. Everything will be fine Sookie; this is nothing I cannot handle. If you show up there it could spook Jonathan and the boy could be harmed. I will go and get him while you go with Belinda to check on Bobby and Evelyn. I will take Pam with me to Fangtasia, not to mention Thalia will be rising by now." He smiled his deadly smile and so did I. Then he bellowed,

"Pamela, come, we hunt!" Pam appeared in a flash with a wicked smile and after she was filled in on what was happening she grinned,

"Oh I hope he runs. I love a good chase before a meal." I turned to Eric and we kissed.

"Alright but you be careful and no hero stuff just in and then out, you got me? You get Hunter and come home." I ordered and he just smiled as he said,

"I will hold you by sunrise." And with that they left in Eric's car as Belinda and I popped out to Bobby's.

Bobby was holding a now semi-conscience Evelyn in his arms. She was trying to talk to him but then she would just lie back down. We helped him clean her up and I used my light to help with her head injury. It made her sleep just as I hoped it would. I felt so sorry for her being attacked by someone that she loved; being betrayed like that. A good 10 minutes had past so I knew Eric should have had enough time to be at Fangtasia and a quick check through the bond confirmed he was closing in on the bar fast. I was thankful that he would soon have Hunter in his arms and that the little guy would be safe and sound.

I suddenly felt a moment of thrill from the fight then panic from Eric and then nothing, absolutely nothing. No pain ripped through me so I knew he wasn't finally dead, but he was gone … he was gone… on another plain perhaps, but somewhere that I could not feel him at all, I turned to Belinda,

"I can't feel Eric." I said as I went down on one knee and when I looked up at Belinda she was bone white as she said,

"I can't feel Pam either. Oh God Sookie what is happening? Are they…gone?" Before I could respond through heavy breathe Evelyn said,

"He stole my equipment…all the gas tanks of sedatives…he took your big truck Bobby…" and with that Bobby gasped,

"Eric's coffins… the new coffins were in the truck. He ordered new ones, one for you and one for him…they were going to be a wedding present for after… when you decided to be turned…they match…" he was babbling but I had a sudden moment of clarity and a very clear view of what happened in my mind. Without one more moment I popped to Fangtasia to find no one there, but there was a thick haze and I felt so lightheaded immediately. I pulled up my shield and walked around Eric's office. There had been a huge fight. I knew then that Jonathan had used Hunter to lure Eric there and then using Evelyn's vampire sedatives he was able to knock out Eric and Pam.

I heard a low moan. Pam, it was Pam. Jon had not taken Pam he left her there on the ground. Or maybe he wasn't done loading the coffins yet. Belinda popped in and I yelled,

"Shields up! Pam's right here shield her while I'm going for Eric." And with that I ran out the back door of Fangtasia just in time to 'hear' Hunter,

"_Aunt Suekee…he is a bad man… he's thinking 'bout a man named Steve and he has Uncle Erwic…they put a mask on his face like Halloween….they're doggies…like the ones they killed at my preschool…they shot the doggies…"_ He was crying and I was trying to key in on him, but I could see nothing, no truck, no car nothing. How were they traveling? Then I realized yet another lie we had been told; the pack had not kicked Jon out they were helping him and they had killed the guards we had on Hunter and now they have my husband. Well hell.

I could no longer "hear" Hunter and without a link with Eric I had no way of tracking them. I had a clue though…Steve…Steve Newlin… it had to be and there was something more; I could smell magic, Faery magic. I had no way of knowing where he was or what he was doing but I knew who would, Stan. Stan always kept a close eye on FOTS and their dealings so perhaps he would know something. If Eric could only wake up I could track him. I went back into the bar to talk to Pam and to call Bobby. I needed to know how long the sedatives would last when administered in gas form.

"Belinda, how is Pam?"

"She is coming around. He hit her with something too. She's not healing fast so it must have been silver, really old silver." she commented. I too had just learned that the older the silver the more dangerous it was to a vampire.

"She'll be fine. She is fighter and we have to find Eric. I need to call Stan." I saw Eric's cell phone on the ground and picked up. I damn near cried from just holding it but I held it together. I had to hold it together for Eric and for our children. I could simply cry later.

"Stan, I have no time. Eric has been taken. Do you know where Steve Newlin is right now?"

"No, but I will see what my operatives know and call you back. Can you not track Eric through the bond?"

"Not right now, it's blocked. Call me back on this line when you have something." And I hung up to call Bobby.

"Bobby, ask Evelyn how long the sedative will work in gas form?" there was a silence then he was back.

"She said indefinitely and Sookie, he took it all… every canister… he could keep Eric out for days."

"Well Shit!"

"Did you get the boy back?"

"No, he has them both and I think he is working for Steve Newlin."

"Oh no, no… not Jon…how could he do this… we love him… how…" and with that I knew that Bobby was 'bye-bye.' He was in the emotional hell of being betrayed and was no longer a viable help to me so I hung up on him and decided my next move. I called every one, and when I say everyone, I mean everyone. I told them all to come to the house as soon as possible.

Pam stood there stoically looking off into the empty parking lot…empty except for Eric's car. She was holding the keys in her hands but paused.

"He wouldn't want me to drive it. I should leave it here, but it's not in his spot. He parked in a hurry to get inside. When we realized what was happening, that the sedative was everywhere even though we didn't breath it in… we just opened our mouths to speak and that was it… it was too late. They were everywhere and beating me, but he fought them off me even though he was so sluggish. They bound him in silver and opened his mouth… that was all it took. Sookie I am sooo sorry…I failed you both…"

"No. Not another word. Eric didn't even see this coming Pam, so how in the hell could you? Do we know where Thalia is? Do they have her as well?"

"I never saw her." was the last thing Pam said until we got to the house. She walked toward the library and said,

"I am going for weapons." and Belinda padded off after her.

When I walked into the den, Laurell was instantly by my side. I only had enough strength to tell them what happened once, so I voiced that to her. While I was waiting on everyone Eric's phone rang; it was Stan.

"Sookie, Steve Newlin's private jet just landed in Dallas and he off loaded a coffin and a small child was being carried to the car as well. And Sookie there was a Fae male with him. I don't know who, but he was Fae." My first thought was that there had not been time for this to happen but then I remembered flight time from Shreveport to DFW was around 25 minutes and we were now at 50 minutes into this nightmare. So thinking Newlin would have taken him to the church I asked,

"Do you have people in that church?"

"Yes."

"Make no move unless they are about to kill him. I don't want to get some poor human pet killed trying to be a hero. But if you get word they are going to kill him, you need to go in guns blazing Stan! I will be there in a matter of moments. Do I have safe passage for me and my Faery family to pop into your kingdom?"

"Of course your Majesty, I owe you my fealty." and with that he hung up on me.

I called Remy and told him everything that I knew and that I was sure Hunter was safe for now. That Newlin had no way of knowing Hunter was special and monster or not I didn't think he would kill a small child. I had a moment to pray that Sarah Newlin would take care of him. She was a bitch and she hated vampires but I couldn't help but think she might watch out for a tiny little boy like Hunter.

I did not have a lot of time so I stood in the middle of my den and I took inventory of who was there. Laurell, Marcus, Lillianna, Alexander, Pam, Belinda, Niall and Claudine were in the back of the room. Thalia had come in with Christean a few minutes ago; they had been together, that's why she had not been at Fangtasia when Eric had been taken. Alcide and his pack had come in as well, along with Jason and his pack, Sam and last but not least Bill 'fucking' Compton had all been popped in by Faery Royal Guards via Niall's orders. I knew Bill was the last person Eric would want to see, but he was good with kids so he was my go-to-guy for getting Hunter out of the fight. I was sending Royal Faery Guards to get Felipe and Constance; I wanted everyone there. I was taking no chances.

I took a moment to pop to the cellar and I grabbed the closest bottles of blood by the door and then popped them to our bathroom. I laid out towels, our bonding knife in case he needed blood and could not drop his fangs. I paused to see if there was anything else I could think of that I would need to take care of my husband when I got him home; I decided I had done all I could do to prepare for our return home. I wanted to fall apart but then I saw the rose Addie had handed me laying on the side table and I knew that I could do this. I could do this for my family. I pulled Eric's broadsword from the wall and a few other knives and weapons before I popped back to the den, climbed on top of my coffee table and began to tell my family and friends of my plan and their responsibilities.

**STEVE NEWLIN POV**

Stupid vampire, I thought as I slapped him. He was wrapped in silver for when he woke and we would wake him soon. The angels who were here to save us all wanted to have some "special time" with Eric Northman and who was I to question the Lord's angels. They are agents of God and I was honored when they approached me to help end his reign as a media darling. He was a killer - they are all killers. I had an operative in place in Shreveport that had become close with the vampire's 'day man' whatever in the hell that was, but he was easy prey for Jon. Jon did his homework and knew what would win Bobby and his slut of a girl over. Her being a celebrity vampire dentist even worked in our favor; God was truly on our side it would seem. I was pulled from my musings as I watched Neave and Lochlan pull out a long silver chain. It was truly a beautiful thing.

"What is that?" I asked as I saw it had barbed wire wrapped around and through it but the barbed wire gleamed like nothing I had ever seen.

"Ancient Silver… it is older than the vampire and it will be able to injure him… deeply." Neave smiled and I saw the gleam of silver in her mouth. Breandan had explained that all angels had silver fangs to help protect themselves from vampires.

"Well remember we need him 'undead' to lure the slut here." I yelled. I heard a growl and worried as I realized Breandan had walked in and he had a thing for the whore Stackhouse.

"You mind your tongue in front of the boy and do not speak of my future bride that way. I told you she has been glamoured by him. She will be freed of him and we will be married." He bellowed.

"I'm sorry sir." I had to trust the angels they were agents of God. I had to trust in Him and in them.

**BREANDAN's POV**

I laughed as I thought to myself, 'Stupid little man, you have no idea what I am going to do to you and yours.' I would kill the Northman, finally after centuries of waiting I would have my revenge. He took my woman in the war and I would now take his. He probably didn't even remember killing Marlaina as he had killed many that day, but I would never forget. After I kill him SLOWLY I would send Sookie with Neave and Lochlan for them to teach her some manners and to break her in for me.

She would be so broken when I came for her she would cling to me and beg me to save her. My dick twitched at the mere thought of her bleeding and broken while she begged me to save her and oh I would save her. But while Neave and Lochlan were having their fun I would have some fun with the preacher's wife, Sarah. She was plain white trash, but she had nice tits and I bet she was a screamer, but I would know soon enough. Hell, I would probably be kinder to her than her prick of a husband. She might even like it. I was brought from my plans by a sniff, the runt was crying again.

"You weave my Uncle Erwic and Aunt Suekee awone…you are a bad man!" he cried out. I wanted to back hand the brat but I was playing the part of "angel" for the stupid preacher and his wife so I held my temper in check.

"Hunter, he is not your Uncle. He is a dangerous killer and it was only a matter of time before he turned on you and killed you too just like he has countless others. And your Aunt _Suekee_ will be just _fine_. Now go along with Miss Sarah and she will get you some cookies." I handed him to Sarah.

"Come on buddy, I just made some peanut butter cookies and you don't need to be in here anymore."

"I wanna stay with my Uncle Erwic… don't you hurt him… he loves me…where's my daddy?" the brat cried and clawed at me and as the bitch carried him away I saw his nails glow.

"Well isn't that interesting." And I laughed as I realized this was a child of a sky Fae. Damn, my day could just not get any better. I would enjoy killing Northman and the child in front of Niall, right before I gutted the old man and claimed Sookie and then all Faery as mine.

**SARAH NEWLIN's POV **

I had a horrible feeling, a feeling that I had been wrong. I wished Godfrey was here. He was so intelligent so brave. I know that I had helped Steve talk him into meeting the sun but truth be told I fell a little bit for Godfrey. I knew he was a murderer but he was not only kind to me, he listened to me as well. Steve was a good man when I met him after my sister was murdered by a vampire; he had taken care of me. Now he was turning into a monster. I wanted to be free of it all. I was tired of all the death and killing. I wanted someone to save me, but I might just have to save myself. I cleared my head and snuggled the crying boy in my arms. He leaned back and looked at me and said,

"I am sorry your friend died."

"What are you talking about honey?"

"Your friend, Godfrey, I am sorry he died and you miss him."

"How did you?" I stopped my sentences short as I was shocked at the child's ability, but I knew what Sookie could do so perhaps this child could do the same. It was even rumored the vampires in our area had a telepath in their employ but we could not find out who.

"You are right, I am like Aunt Suekee" he said like he was ashamed.

"Well now isn't that something. I'll be honest Hunter; I don't know what to do or what to believe. I miss Godfrey because he would help us escape, but I don't know if I am strong enough."

"They're not angels they are fibbin' and they are gonna kill ya'll when it's over to cover their twacks." He was just a baby, could barely speak clearly, and I had let Steve talk me into kidnapping him. Steve was now a monster and I should have known. He was so cruel to me and I had just become a loyal lap dog taking whatever scraps he would give me. Well that was over. I might die tonight but I would die saving this child and maybe, just maybe God would forgive and I would see Godfrey again in the afterlife. I took Hunter with me into Steve's office to look for Jon. I found Jon and saw his cell phone on Steve's desk. That was my target, which was just what I needed.

"Jon can you do me a favor? Can you run to the kitchen for some milk and cookies while I settle Hunter in? He is still a little afraid of you from this morning." I whispered the last part in a confrontational manner to him and Hunter, no doubt reading my mind and knew what I was doing, hid his face in the crook of my neck.

"Sure Sarah, I'll be right back." Yes, but you'll be too late I thought. As soon as he left the room I locked Steve's door and ran to the phone. I went through the last called numbers and I called the one marked Northman and prayed Sookie had the phone.

**SPOV**

We began the process of popping to Dallas. It was time consuming and tedious but we were slowly but surely getting there. Felipe brought vampires from his kingdom and so did Constance. All of our vamps were there; I was overwhelmed at their loyalty to Eric. Thalia and Pam stayed glued to me as did Laurell, I think they were waiting on me to fall apart but I knew I could not. I patted my pants pocket where the rose Addie gave me was now stuffed and it gave me courage. It was Niall, who brought me from my thoughts,

"Sookie, I believe it is Breandan but I have intelligence saying he in Fae right now. There is no portal near the church so he can't just be popping in and out without notice. I do not believe they are at the church. I think there must be another location." He paused, "Little one I need to tell you though, that Neave and Lochlan are missing. They hate the Northman from long ago and I know that they would jump at the chance to use their talents on him."

"What talents?"

"They are known for their ability to torture and keep their victims alive."

For a split second I felt Eric and he was fine then pain ripped through me and I thought it was just from the knowledge that Niall had just told me but it was not. I was on the floor as was Laurell. Eric was being tortured. I tried to block the pain while sending him love and reassurance. _'I'm coming…hold on'_ I thought to him as I held on to Laurell and Marcus helped us from the floor. He looked at Laurell then to me and said,

"Close the bond,"

"Never!" We yelled in tandem. "I can take it and so can she; we just have to get it under control." Laurell said as she winced and then she closed her eyes. We both sat down and tried to concentrate on block out the pain as much as we could. It was then that I saw Pam. Red tears streamed down her white face.

"Please Sookie; please… help me get to my maker… I will kill them all…I know I yell at him all the time but I lo…please we have to find him. Can you track him now?"

"I feel him but it could take me a little while to pin point his location." I paused and turned to Stan, "What have your operatives said? Do we know where the car took them?"

"No, five limos went into the hanger and they all left in different directions. We have no way of knowing where they are right now, but Sookie I will find him. We will find him." As he left the room he promised to keep me informed and that he would call me as soon as he knew something. I prayed to Gran to help. I didn't know what else to do I couldn't pray to God it had been too long but maybe Gran could pray for me. Eric's phone rang and I answered it,

"Hello…"

"Sookie, I only have seconds, this is Sarah Newlin. I know you hate me and have no reason to trust me but please just listen to me. They have your husband here at my home; we are not at the church. Steve remembered that vamps can come in churches so we are in the basement of our house on our compound in Dallas, now put me on speaker phone…"

I paused and almost didn't do it, but for whatever reason I did as she asked.

"Alright Sarah you are on speaker."

"You are invited in my home. I invite you in, all of you. Please try to spare those you can. Hunter and I are locked in Steve office one floor up from the basement where they have Eric. I took the boy out when they were going to…hurt your husb… I am so sorry Mrs. Northman. I can tell you that he is bound in Silver and Iron. I don't know why but I think it was important. I do promise you though that I will save this boy if it is the last thing I do." Then I heard a little cry,

"Hurwee Aunt Suekee, the bad man is hurting Uncle Erwic."

"What is the bad man's name?"

"Bweandan, I don't know the other two. He fibbed and told'em he's angel but he's not…he is bad…" I tried to reassure Hunter that I was on my way and not to worry but I thought I was less than convincing. Eric was in so much pain. He was trying to bury it so I would not feel it but it was too much for him to shield me from.

"Hunter we will be there soon baby. You stay there with Sarah I am sending my friend Bill to get you and her out. You go with Bill, okay Hunter?"

"Okay Aunt Suekee… I will I can see him in your head." I had never been able to read over the phone so that surprised me somewhat but I did not question it I only said,

"Good boy and I will see you soon. Bill will take you to his house; your daddy is waiting on you there with Sam Merlotte and your mommy is on the way there too. I love you sweetie and you are being so brave." Remy had fought to come with us but I knew it would be better if he waited somewhere instead of coming into a fight he couldn't win. I asked Sam to stay with and protect Remy until Hadley and Sophie-Anne could be popped in to wait with him. Hadley had been beside herself when we told her Hunter was taken and she asked to come immediately. So as soon as The Royal Fae Guard finished popping us to Dallas I sent a team to France to retrieve them and stay with them at Bill's house. Suddenly I felt a pain rip through my leg and neck and with that I hung up and turned to Marcus,

"We have to go now. We have to…" The pain was in my neck and legs were horrible. Laurell, Pam and I were all putting on brave faces but we could all feel the pain. I sent love and comfort to Eric through our shared bond and once again told him _'hold on I'm coming'_ but this time I could hear him _'NO! Trap…RUN…go to Faery with Niall…RUN…go…'_

"The Fae are luring you out. They know how to pull you out and if you pop in there you can't just pop out with him. Sookie you are more Fae than human now. You can't touch the Iron." Marcus advised sadly as I had turned back to him to tell him what Eric had said to me through the bond.

I realized that Eric had to be close, much closer that I realized. I turned to Stan, who I just realized was in back in the room,

"Where do the Newlin's live?"

"They have several homes, there is one about five miles over in the subdivision across the way, and the homes are like these, more like compounds. They have condos in town and a country house as well. Did she say which one they were at?"

"They are close…very close and she referred to as her home, so it's the house…the one close to here." As I spoke Isabella walked and asked,

"What has happened, do we have a location?"

"Sarah Newlin called said her husband has Eric at the house and she just invited every vampire here into her home. She said that she has Hunter and only asked that we spare those that we could." I paused as I turned to Stan, "get your people together, we are going in guns a blazing. I'm getting him out tonight. I will hold him by sunrise."

And with that I gathered everyone around me to go over the plan one more time and then said in a loud booming voice.

"Here is how this is going to play out. Niall and Claudine you are with me. Gammy, Marcus and Alexander you pop-in with Lillianna. Pam you and Belinda, Sven and Livy are on my six you are to get the iron and silver off Eric while I am busy and once you have him free I'll pop him out."

"Busy doing what?" Belinda asked since she was the only one who didn't seem to know the answer.

"Killing everything else in sight." Was my reply before I went on to explain to Bill, Sam, Alcide and Jason exactly what I wanted from them. Bill nodded as he said,

"I will get the boy out but what do you want me to do with Mrs. Newlin?" I knew that Bill hated her because she was the reason I was detained, almost raped and in a horrible car accident while we were in Dallas, but I didn't think he would kill her out right. I had a feeling that once away from Steve she would be a different person but I had no way of really knowing that. It was just a feeling, almost as if it were being whispered in my ear. I could almost hear Gran,

'_You can't judge a book by its cover or a person by one mistake. Sookie, it's not ours to judge.'_ But Sarah seemed to make mistake after mistake so what are we going to do with her? That was a damn good question. She had helped plan and had prior knowledge of the abduction of an innocent child that I loved, not to mention the torture and murder of my husband, but she had had a change of heart.

"Take her with you. Be kind but… I just don't know. I know we are not killing her but unless she has one hell of a story we might be turning her over to Andy." was the best I could come up with at the present moment.

"Well if you are killing everything then I am going with you." Was what Thalia said to me with Christean by her side and he said,

"Yes Sookie, I think I should be with you, Niall and Claudine when you pop in. I have a score of my own to settle with that bastard. We all know he is the one who helped them hide my Nialla…Belinda from me and I owe him for that and more." I nodded and said,

"Alright you're with me."

"No daddy. Stay here…"

"I could ask you the same thing little one, but we know you will go after your 'big brother' no matter what I say. Be careful little one I just got you back and I can't lose you again." They smiled and embraced and while all this was endearing I wanted to go.

"What would you have us do?" it was Constance's impatient voice that broke me from that though. I explained to her and Felipe what I wanted and where. I then divided up the Faery Royal guard so that they could pop in my other vampires. Everyone understood their part and what was expected. I walked to Belinda and Pam. We circle up and I said,

"Belinda, remember your control and your shield. Keep Pam close enough to you and you can encase her with you. Pam no matter what is happening with me you stay with Eric. I am overriding any order he has ever given you on this. You stay with Eric and get the Iron off. Belinda you get the silver off and if I can't get to him… if my plan is not working, you pop him the hell home. You and Laurell can heal him if I can't get away. If it doesn't work out the way I want then that is the back-up plan you got it?" they said nothing as we embraced they simply nodded. There was only one thing left to say,

"Let's go save our boys" and with that I felt something in me change. I felt a 'snap' of sorts and with that I knew I was going dark. That is the only way I know how to explain it.

I linked arms with Niall and Claudine and I nodded to Thalia and Christean as we popped to the front yard of the Newlin property. I then closed my eyes and felt for Eric. He was here and in pain, so much pain. He was attempting to shield me from it but it was too great for him to do so. This pushed me further into my dark space and I looked to Niall and said,

"Come when I call...you know the code" he nodded and kissed me on my forehead and whispered an ancient prayer of safe passage and with that I popped to Eric's location. They all looked surprised. Neave smiled evilly as she pulled a knife out of Eric's body. I surprised them again when I cracked my neck, smiled my own evil smile and blew her ass up with a ball of light. Before anyone could respond I walked to Breandan and hissed,

"Hello honey, I'm home." I smiled and he hissed and we began to grapple. He had me down by my throat he was stronger than I thought but I knew that I was only at half power. I could hear the other's coming and I saw Newlin running for the door when I heard Eric gasp out,

"Run Sookie Run…liquid iron...run!" but I put my shield up and pulled Breandan into it with me instead and yelled,

"Do your worst!" The code of all codes.

**A/N: SO apparently NO, I can't write a chapter that doesn't end in a cliffy! So will Sookie save Eric? Will she be in time? Or will she willingly walk into a trap to save him and offer herself up as a big ole juicy éclair? Oh my stars…**


	37. Chapter 37 It was that Simple

**Chapter 37 – It was that Simple **

A/N: Okay I own nothing, just a really crazy dog and some last season Jimmy Choo's. I also want to remind you that the contest I am co-hosting is about to start so if you have been toying with doing a one shot…now would be the time! **Make Momma Minion proud and enter THE SNARKY-SIDE KICK and give me your funniest..snarkiest Pam.** Remember it can be any pairing as long as it is **Pam's POV~ Oh and GO SEAL TEAM6~ You rock!**

**LAST TIME:** _**(Sookie rallied the troupes and went after Eric and Hunter who were being held hostage by Breandan and Steve Newlin. While Eric is being tortured Sarah Newlin had a change of heart and is trying to save Hunter so she called Sookie with their location and invited the vampires with Sookie and of Dallas in her home)**_

**SPOV**

"**Come when I call...you know the code" he nodded and kissed me on my forehead and whispered an ancient prayer of safe passage and with that I popped to Eric's location. They all looked surprised. Neave smiled an evil smile as she pulled a knife out of Eric's body. I surprised them again when I cracked my neck, smiled my own evil smile and blew her ass up with a ball of light. Before anyone could respond I walked to Breandan and hissed,**

"**Hello honey, I'm home." I smiled and he hissed and we began to grapple. He had me down by my throat he was stronger than I thought but I knew that I was only at half power. I could hear other's coming and I saw Newlin running for the door. I hear Eric gasp out,**

"**Run Sookie Run…liquid iron...run!" but I put my shield up and pulled Breandan into it with me instead and yelled,**

"**Do your worst!" The code of all codes.  
**

**SPOV**

The liquid missed me by a country mile and it pissed me off that he thought so little of me. I wanted a fight, a good fucking fight, and he was going to give me one. I threw him off me as I yelled,

"You stupid Son of a Bitch did you really think it would be that easy?" I felt my fangs click in and my eyes go black and he just looked at me stunned,

"What are you?" he gasped out as I gripped his throat in one hand and his arm with the sword with the other.

"I am your fated death" I said in a voice that was not my own. I could see everything so clearly and I could feel my people as they came in and the fighting began with their arrival. I knew that I had to be the one to kill Breandan but I need to make sure Eric was protected.

"Pam- GET YOUR MASTER!" and with that I continued to fight Breandan and pushed him off of me long enough to pull Eric's long sword from its sheath. It was in that moment I felt even more power rip through me. I wanted blood…his blood…

"Breandan, I am going to drain you dry you useless excuse for a faery. No wonder you have no mate!" Well that pissed him off and as he backhanded me across the room I laughed as I landed.

"OOOO touchy…touchy aren't we… I might get a good fight out of you after all!" I could feel pride coming from Eric even though he wanted me to run.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Newlin making a run for it "Thalia, get that son of a bitch!" I yelled and she grabbed him by the throat and threw him back in the room. He scurried under a table but he was not getting away.

"Laurell keep the FOTS soldiers away from Eric! Sven, round up those wolves! Niall keep those Faeries from popping they will pay! Alcide…Jason…get ready they're coming…second wave!" I yelled, all the while fighting Breandan off and away from where Eric was being held down with silver and iron. My beloved I could see how hurt he was and that fueled my anger even more. I would kill Breandan for this tonight.

As I fought him I pushed him through the crowd of Were and Water Faeries to attempt to get to Eric's position. They had him well covered and it amazed me how quickly they all made it down into the basement. That is when it hit me; they had all been down here watching him be tortured. They had stood and watched as Neave and Lochlan cut and mutilated him. The fact I would fucking kill them all is the only thing I was sure of. As I fought Breandan others tried to work their way into our fight, but I simply cut through them with Eric's sword and kept pushing toward my goal; saving my husband and taking him home before sunrise.

**EPOV**

I knew that I was in bad shape and as the chain dug into my neck I couldn't help but think _'at least now I know how I get the scar.'_ I felt Sookie sending me love and comfort and I tried to warn her off, but I could feel her resolve. She was immersed in that deep dark place she goes to when she has to kill, and she not only knew she was going to have to kill, but she was looking forward to it. She was pissed. Poor Breandan, I almost feel sorry for the bastard; he has no idea… no fucking idea what it is like to be on the receiving end of the wrath of my beloved.

I was trying to stay centered but the pain was horrible. The knives, in truth, hurt worse than the barbed wire on my throat, but I knew it was the silver chain with the barbed wire on my throat that was the most dangerous to me. It was old; older than me, which meant it could inflict greater damage and I tried not to thrash, but to stay perfectly still, willing myself not cry out. I would occasionally let a moan escape but I would not give the bitch and bastard the satisfaction of hearing me cry out. The room was full of Water Fae and Were's all laughing at my pain and cheering on Neave and Lochlan. I dug in deeper to my deep dark place knowing Ocella had hurt me worse than this; I could take what they were dishing out. What I could not deal with was Breandan telling me what he was going to do to Sookie once I was dead. I once again tried to warn her off but she was adamant in her decision to come for me and she was close; very close.

I felt her before I saw her. Neave pulled the knife out of me and smiled at Sookie 'Oh that was the wrong thing to do bitch' was my thought right before, POOF, Neave was dead. I think Lochlan was in shock because he did not move at all toward me or Sookie. No one moved at first until Lochlan finally moved toward the dust pile that was now his sister/lover. Then Sookie moved toward Breandan and I tried to warn her about the liquid iron I saw two others preparing to throw on her to weaken her, but she was too fast for them and then she yelled,

"DO YOUR WORST!" and with that the room lit up with Fae and Vampires alike. She was magnificent as she fought. I was proud of her even though I wanted her to run, but I knew that she would not. She was goading Breandan and she was hot for a fight but she wanted Pam to cover me. I heard her yell out all the while fighting to the death with Breandan, ordering,

"Pam - GET YOUR MASTER!" She was a general and every vampire, faery and shifter here were part of her army. They followed her every direction without question. I was impressed with her planning and how out manned Newlin and Breandan truly were with me watching her fight and found it truly impressive. The way she would turn and block his every move was unbelievable. I only wished I could join in on the fight and I wanted her to pop out and go home but I knew she would not do so. The bond we shared was screaming _'I don't run…blood covenant … and I love you.'_

Sookie ordered Thalia to keep Newlin from leaving the room and then she ordered my family, Laurell, Marcus, Alexander and Lillianna to take out the FOTS soldiers. It was quite the fight. The boys thought their religious crosses could protect them, but of course they could not. Those twenty boys were no match for Laurell by herself without adding Marcus, Lillianna and Alexander to the mix. I could feel her worry for me through the bond and her desire to fly to my side or to find Hunter, but she did as Sookie asked. Set to her task, of taking on her assignment of holding the FOTS soldiers at bay because they all had stakes on them and Sookie wanted those far away from me.

Alcide and Jason, along with their various pack members, joined the fray as well. They were attacking a second set of soldiers that had not been in the basement enjoying my torture. My guess is that they were the outer level guards who had come in when the fighting started. Someone had probably alerted them or they had simply heard the commotion, but Alcide and Jason's packs had been ready for the onslaught due to my beloved and her warning.

Christean was aiding Livy and Sven by taking on half of the Were pack that Jon had brought with him. Then suddenly Thalia came back to flank her man. I saw Thalia give a nod in Jonathan's direction to claim him as her opponent. She landed in front of him with her sword drawn and growled a low guttural sound as I felt Pam draw closer to me I cut my eyes to look for her and she had almost fought her way to me with Belinda right beside her. As I looked back to see Thalia I was just in time to see Jonathan's head fly across the room in wolf form but land in human form. I was feeling weak but Pam was almost to me and Sookie was closing in as well. She was fighting Breandan toward my position and I knew she was planning on killing him and popping me home. I could 'hear' it all in her head.

Niall and Claudine were taking on the water Fae that were there as if they were nothing and they actually made a hole for Belinda to run half way to my position. She was almost to me, but there were still more Fae and Were's in the way and I knew that she wanted to pop, but with all the iron around me it was just too dangerous for her to pop straight to my position. She had to do the same thing Sookie was doing; fight her way to me.

My vampires, along with Stan's and Felipe's people were taking on the Fae and Were's that were now pouring toward my position from the other side of the room, but we seemed to have them outmanned. Constance and Isabella actually paused to check their nails; Pam and those two could be best friends. I mused for a moment before another bout of pain ripped through me as a Were hit the base of my table and he reached up to attempt to rip my throat out with the barbed wire around my neck. Pam had made her way to me and ripped his head off before he had the chance.

This fight was not going to take long which was a good thing because I was bleeding out through the wound in my neck. I felt Pam removing the iron cuffs off my arms and legs. Belinda was cooing into my ear while pulling the silver off me when I saw Lochlan coming up behind her. My right arm was free, but the problem was if I moved, the chain would rip through my neck even more than it was now. However, this was Belinda, our sweet baby angel. She was Aunna to me, in that moment I could see my Aunna and there was no choice. I had failed Aunna, I would NOT fail Belinda.

I reached up and grabbed him by his throat and as I did I felt the chain dig deeper and the blood flowed a little more freely than just seconds before. Pam saw what was happening and she came to my aide killing Lochlan where he stood. She once again ripped another head off and tossed it across the room as she yelled at Sookie.

"Sookie, quit playing with your God Damn food and drain that mother fucker dry…Eric needs you over here NOW!" I smiled at her, my sweet Pam, my little girl. I would never be sorry that I turned her. I reached and touched her face as I smiled at her I could feel the blood flowing out of me. I saw Sookie and the fear and anger in her eyes as she pulled Breandan to her and sank her fangs into him. She drank deeply and then snapped his neck as she said,

"Bet you didn't think this was the way your night was gonna go, now did ya bitch?" and she dropped him to the floor. She was by my side in a flash, cooing and petting me gently. She lit her hands and laid them on my neck, but we both knew I was almost gone. I smiled and tried to whisper 'I love you' but nothing would come out. I could hear Pam screaming but could not make out what she was saying. I was losing blood fast and I knew I was fading.

Sookie took a knife from her waist band and split her arm open from wrist to elbow and began to push her blood flow into my mouth and onto the wound on my neck all the while keeping the other hand lit with her light. Her magic was all around us with her chanting out loud and I could feel the ancient magic engulf me. It felt just like when she woke me with her light. The magic grew in strength as Belinda touched Sookie's shoulder and continued building in power when Lillianna and Laurell did as well. They were offering their magic to Sookie. Everyone was panicking but Sookie was not, she felt calm and soothing to me. She cooed very calmly to Belinda,

"Finish taking the silver off him Belinda."

"Laurell, keep everyone back, no one sees him like this." The fight seemed to be over and everyone was concerning themselves with my condition. I was practically stripped bare from all the cutting and wounds inflicted with the knives and chains. They wanted to make sure the silver burned and knives wounded me in all the 'right' places. I was weak but finally able to gasp out,

"Hunter?"

"Shush baby, he is fine. Bill has him. He is taking him to Remy now. Rest easy, now lover. I have you. Everything will be fine." She then climbed on top of me, but held her weight off me as much as she could. She leaned in and wrapped her arms around me saying, "Let's go home." And as we popped away I heard Laurell call out that it was too dangerous for her to be alone with me and to come back, but in the next moment we were home and I was so damn hungry.

**SPOV**

I heard Hunter in my mind, 'Aunt Suekee…Uncle Bill has me and the lady…come home…' and with that he was out of range. God Bless the Royal Fae Guard. I was having fun torturing Breandan until Pam yelled at me and I knew that Eric was in grave danger. He had hurt himself even more while trying to protect Belinda and when I finally made it to him, he was in dire straits and as close to final death as I had ever seen a vampire without them flaking and dissolving away. Pam cried out,

"Sookie do something, **he's flaking…NOOO Eric no!**" I took one of the knives from my waist band and split my arm open from wrist to elbow and began to push my blood flow into his mouth and all over the worst wound which was on his neck. I lit my hands and laid the one not feeding him directly on the wound to help speed up his healing. Belinda, Laurell and Lillianna offered me access to their Faery magic and power and I gladly took the extra strength. Everyone was panicking but I felt so calm; it was a weird calm almost like I could feel a comforting peace come all around me. I could hear Gran's advice she had given me over the years, _'Oh child, he will feel better once you get him home. A man always feels better in his own bed.'_ I very calmly said to Belinda,

"Finish taking the silver off him Belinda." She did as she was asked and very gently pulled the silver from his skin. She was crying but holding it together and as she pulled the silver from him she was praying. Pam was petting Eric's arm and whispering in his ear,

"Master, you'll be fine. You are so strong and Sookie is here…we are all here…" She had red tears streaming down her face. Seeing her tears made the others start making their way to where he was bound in an attempt to see how badly he was hurt. I, however, did not want anyone near him. I felt an overwhelming desire to protect him from everyone. I saw Thalia pulling Newlin to his feet the coward had lived through this but I would deal with him later. I sent a mental note to Pam to get Stan to help us clean this mess up and hold on to Newlin. Eric moaned and made me realize he would not want anyone to see him like this.

"Laurell, keep everyone back, no one sees him like this." The fight was over and everyone was concerning themselves with Eric's condition. He was practically stripped bare from all the cutting and wounds. I could feel his concern through our shared bond and I knew what he was going to ask before he asked me.

"Hunter?"

"Shush baby, he is fine. Bill has him. He is taking him to Remy now. Rest easy, now lover. I have you. Everything will be fine." I was afraid I would injure him more but I had to take him in my arms to be able to pop him home, so I very gently climbed onto the table and on top of him while keeping my weight mainly on my knees. I leaned in and wrapped my arms around him,

"Let's go home." But as we popped I heard Laurell yell,

"Sookie, don't take him to the resting chamber… you shouldn't be alone with him… it's too dangerous and we can't get to you…." I did not heed her warning.

I popped us straight into the shower of our resting chamber and gently help Eric down onto the shower stall bench. I leaned him back against the wall and I popped open one of the bottles of blood that I had left there in my hurried preparation for our return earlier in the evening. I scooted behind him onto the shower seat to hold him so I could feed it to him. He was still gray but the flaking had stopped and I knew that I had to get some bottled blood in him before I could attempt to let him feed from me again. I rocked him and cooed to him as he drank,

"There you go baby, everything's okay now. We are home…see look… home." He opened his eyes and looked around and nodded that he understood we were back home. I saw the clock on the wall and it had only been 3 hours since they had taken him. How had they done so much damage in that little amount of time and why? Eric finished the bottle and I picked up the next one and began the process again. He moved up a little before leaning back again, but by the end of the second bottle he was able to bring his hands up and hold it on his own.

By the time the third and final bottle was opened he was able to take it from me and hold it on his own. I leaned him back on the shower wall and took our bonding knife off the counter so I could cut the remainder of his pants off of him. It was basically just a waist band and a few other strips of cloth that were left. I turned on the shower and began to prepare to wash the blood off him so I could see the worst of the wounds and finish healing him. His neck looked much, much better and I started at his feet where I began to wash away the dirt and blood. They had cut the bottom of his feet… Holy Mother of God; who were these people and what drove them to do this?

I worked my way up his legs washing and healing his wounds most of which seemed to all but disappear, but the deeper ones would take him getting more blood back into him and time for him to heal. I gently spread his legs and began to heal his groin area… _'Fucking bitch –cunt- whore, I should have killed you slower'_ was the thought that ripped through me as I saw she had cut and stabbed him _everywhere_. I used the bonding knife to cut my hands and coupled my blood and my light to heal that area. Eric winced, but made no real movement. He still had his eyes closed and his head leaned back against the wall. He was almost finished with the last bottle of blood so I hurried myself to finish healing him so I could wash him and get him to bed to rest.

By the time I started on his stomach and chest he was done drinking the last bottle of blood finished with the bottle and he sat it down on the shower floor next to where I had discarded the others. He opened his eyes and watched me as I did yet another round of healing on his neck. He gave me a little smile and I would later swear I felt myself breathe for the first time in 3 hours. I smiled back and said,

"Lean up and let me wash the blood out of your hair." He nodded in response and just did as I asked. I longed to hear his voice but I didn't push him. I would let him set his own pace, just like he did with me the night I was attacked. I would just make every effort to take care of him and show him how much I loved him. I very gently massaged the shampoo into his hair and then used the same to lather his body once more to make sure I had cleaned all the blood off of him. I realized I did not have a cup to rinse his hair out with so I was going to have to get him under the spray to wash all the soap and shampoo off his body. I took the rag and wet it without ringing it out and began to get some of the soap off his body so I could give him a few more minutes before he was going to have to stand up. I could tell he was still very weak.

"Baby, I need you to stand up so I can rinse you off, okay?" He nodded but seemed so groggy and when he did stand he swayed. I was able to hold him up with very little help from him, under the water to rinse him. I sat him back down on the shower seat and stripped my bloody clothes off. I washed myself quickly and then I cut off the water and turned to helped him out the shower. He was looking at me like a lion looks at a gazelle but he made no move toward me so after our 20 minutes shower, I finally pulled him out and began to dry him off. I was exhausted and opted for towel drying our hair instead of getting out the dryer.

I helped him to our bedroom and into the bed. I had put my quilt on the bed knowing that Gran's quilt brought him as much comfort as it brought me and cuddled up beside him. He moved for the first time on his own without my help, moving the bulk of his body between my legs and laid his head down on my chest. I laid there watching his head rise and fall with each of my breaths and we were both silent for a good long while. Pam and Belinda where home and poking around, trying to get inside my head, so I sent Pam a mental '_we are fine go away'_ and then there was silence again.

Deep into the night, long after I had fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion I felt Eric move and he shook me a little to wake me. I looked down at face as he was still lying on my chest and he said,

"I'm hungry." he said with a lost lilt and growl to his voice. I brushed his hair from his face and said,

"Then feed." It was that simple. He immediately bit, but he wasn't gentle as he took a good long feed. In spite of the pain I continued to stroke his hair and coo to him about how much I loved him and how happy I was to have him home. I don't really know what all I said and I was basically babbling due to how tired I was and how much blood I had lost off and on all night. I had always been one to wake slowly, needing to stretch and roll around for a while before getting out of bed once woken and tonight it was doubly so. I just could not keep my eyes open due to all the varying factors of the evening; the stress, loss of blood, the intensity of the fight and the sheer terror I had felt watching Eric begin to flake earlier had all taken their toll on me.

I felt him rub up against my leg and knew he wanted something else too. He stopped feeding and looked up at me as he growled.

"Woman, I want you." There seemed to be something off about him but I knew I could not deny him.

"Then take what you want." Once again it was that simple. He had a need and I would fill it. I would do anything for him. I would die for him if I had to. In that moment I relinquished all control and just trusted our bond. He had begun to crawl up me and he filled me completely with one thrust. It was not pleasant to be filled that quickly by that much man, but he always felt like coming home so the sensation while somewhat painful for a moment, gave me great comfort. Once I began to writhe underneath him it seemed to spur him on and he looked wild and feral. He was thrusting into me over and over, harder and harder while screaming out and cursing in his native tongue. Then on the last thrust I felt a snap and was fairly certain that my pelvis was broken. He seemed drunk; if he were a human man I would swear that he was drunk. He collapsed on me and I whispered,

"Baby, I need some of your blood to heal… Eric… please…" After a long moment he seemed to understand what I needed and he offered me his wrist so I bit into it and drank. I took just enough to take the edge off the pain and he laid his head back on my chest and was still for quite some time. I was dosing again; I had never felt so tired, so utterly and completely exhausted. I knew I had used a lot of power during the fight, not to mention all the magic I had expelled to heal Eric, but this feeling was overwhelming. I must have fallen asleep again because he was waking me again,

"I need more, I need to feed. I am so hungry for you. You taste so good…"

"It's alright, take what you need." And with that bite I felt like I was floating. Once again I gave myself over to our love, to our bond. He had a need and I would fill it. I trusted the bond. I was so light headed and thought that I was going to pass out, but then suddenly I was fine. I was standing outside Gran's house in the middle of the day, but I was fine.

I walked slowly toward the house I grew up in on Hummingbird Lane. It was a beautiful summer day. There were butterflies everywhere, which was strange because we never had that many butterflies. As I approached the front porch I saw the best thing I had seen in a while, Gran. Gran was on the front porch swing holding something that I could not quite make out from this distance and I started to run for the house as fast as I could.

"Gran! Gran!" I was so happy and she looked up from the bundle in her lap and smiled at me.

"Sookie, what are you doing here angel? You aren't supposed to be here, but I am glad to see you."

"Gran I miss you so much." I cried as I reached to hug her, but she patted me and said,

"Be careful Sookie, I am holding the babies. I looked down in her arms and she was holding two sweet babies and I knew in an instant they were my babies; mine and Eric's. I sat down beside her and she passed me Addie and CJ. I held them and breathed them in as I smiled like a loon. They were smiling and cooing to me; reaching to grab my nose and clap their little hands. They didn't look like newborns they looked about 6 months old. I kissed them and hugged them and then I looked at Gran with a sudden realization,

"Gran, where are we?"

"Heaven, but you are not supposed to be here. You have to go back to your Viking so I can send these two on down to you both. They are ready to be in your world. Little Lars will take a little more time but he will be a handful so you need to be fully rested for this one." She smiled before continuing, "You have to go back Sookie, you have to go back." She said as she took the babies back and I realized Lars was in a bassinet to my left. Unlike the twins he was fast asleep, very tiny and truly looked like a sleeping angel. I picked him up, stroked his sweet face and kissed him before lying him back down. I turned to Gran and said,

"Gran, I don't know how I got here so how do I get back?"

"Follow you heart, Sookie, follow your heart."

"Gran what does that mean?"

"You'll know soon enough, child. When it matters most you will know. Now run, you have to go, run before the veil closes. You can cross it but only for a few moments. RUN Sookie, run." And I hugged her, kissed her cheek and took off running as fast as I could down the drive way. I kept running down the road the same path that Eric had run down when I had found him that fateful night in January. I could hear Eric's voice so I followed it and thought of Gran's advice, realizing that Eric was my heart, so I would follow his voice as he called to me and I called out to him.

**EPOV**

I was dreaming that I had caught a beautiful faery and was drinking from her while having my way with her. But then in the middle of the dream I saw Sookie's face heard her voice begging me for my blood and saying she was hurt. I felt so drunk, like I had had Faery Royalty blends or a full blooded faery. I kept trying to shake my head to wake myself from the dream, but my vision was blurry and I felt stiff. I could not remember where I was or how I got there, but once my eyes opened I knew that I was in my bed. I felt a hand on my back; it was Sookie. I looked up and was terrified at what I saw.

It was my beloved, stripped bare with bite marks all over her. I had drained her was my first thought but I could hear a faint heart beat. As I moved off her, even in her semi-unconscious state she moaned out in pain. Her hip, more specifically her pelvis, was broken. I had a sudden realization that my greatest fear had come true; I had taken her against her will. I gathered her into my arms and wept, calling out her name and realized I was now screaming it.

"SOOKIE… oh God please no… SOOKIE wake up…come back… SOMEONE HELP ME!" I reached to the end of the bed and took her grandmother's quilt. I gently wrapped her in the quilt. I could feel Pam so I gently laid Sookie back down as I ran to the door to open it. I unlocked it and flew back to Sookie. Pam, Belinda, Marcus, Laurell, Lillianna and Alexander all entered in. I was weeping and rocking Sookie in my arms.

"Eric, give her to me." Laurell said with little emotion in her voice, but she immediately began to chant to wind her magic through the air. I nodded and handed Sookie to her but I was still calling out her name. I could not stop and I did not know why. Marcus had walked past us and into the bathroom. I looked to Alexander and he asked,

"Brother, how did this happen?"

"I don't know. I don't really remember last night at all. I remember her cleaning me…the shower… she fed me bottled blood and then… nothing… Oh God, she has lain down here all day hurt…" I was confused and dazed. I felt so helpless and I was not used to feeling this way.

"I know what happened." Marcus said very stoically as he held out bottles of blood. I vaguely remembered drinking from them but not really.

"Royalty blended Faery blood and one bottle of straight faery blood, where the hell did she get those?" Alex asked.

"From my wine cellar, I showed her those and told her I could get drunk off a glass. So why would she give me all three bottles? It must have been a mistake." I walked back to the bed and pulled Sookie from Laurell and rocked her in my arms.

"Lover, come back to me…come back...You said you would never run…I am so sorry…please…please…" and with that I prayed for the second time in a millennium.

**A/N: Hold on… I love you and it will be OK… (Getting my new SVM tomorrow so if I am slow to respond to your reviews forgive me... and you better still review. hahaha!) Love you! **


	38. Chapter 38 Follow Our Heart

Chapter 38 – Follow Our Heart

A/N: I own nothing! CH does… PLEASE remember to **enter the contest** that I am co-hosting with sassyvampmama called **The Snarky Side Kick!** Give me your funniest/snarkiest Pam. See the sight for all the rules. **I have no idea when FF will post this.** I can't get it to download to Document Manager at all! **I am sooooo sick of all FF crap!** I hope you all get this and I am sorry it is late! **HUGS, Momma Minion!**

**LAST TIME: (Sookie saved Eric from certain death, but in her hurry to heal him she accidentally feed him bottled blood that was pure faery blood. In his drunken state he takes too much of her blood and injures her while they are making love. Unbeknownst to him he had asked for her blood each time and he had asked to 'have' her, but right now he thinks he has taken her against her will and now she is not responding to his call.)**

**EPOV "SOOKIE… oh God please no… SOOKIE wake up…come back… SOMEONE HELP ME!" I reached to the end of the bed and took her grandmother's quilt. I gently wrapped her in the quilt. I could feel Pam so I gently laid Sookie back down as I ran to the door to open it. I unlocked it and ran back to Sookie. Pam, Belinda, Marcus, Laurell, Lillianna and Alexander all entered in. I was weeping and rocking Sookie in my arms.**

**"Eric, give her to me." Laurell said with little emotion in her voice. I nodded and handed Sookie to her but I was still calling out her name. I could not stop and I did not know why. Marcus had walked past us and into the bathroom. I looked to Alexander and he asked,**

**"Brother, how did this happen?"**

**"I don't know. I don't really remember last night at all. I remember her cleaning me…the shower… she feed me bottled blood and then… nothing… Oh God, she has lain down here all day hurt…" I was confused and dazed. I felt so helpless and I was not used to feeling this way.**

**"I know what happened." Marcus said very stoically as he held out bottles of blood. I vaguely remembered drinking from them but not really. **

**"Royalty blended Faery blood and one bottle of straight faery blood, where the hell did she get those?" Alex asked.**

**"From my wine cellar, I showed her those and told her I could get drunk off a glass. So why would she give me all three bottles? It must have been a mistake." I walked back to the bed and pulled Sookie from Laurell and rocked her in my arms.**

**"Lover, come back to me…come back...You said you would never run…I am so sorry…please…please…" and with that I prayed for the second time in a millennium.**

**EPOV**

She looked so fragile in my arms while the others stood in a silent vigil around our bed. I rocked her and whispered her name over and over until I couldn't take the pain of what I had done any longer. I passed her limp, broken body back to Laurell and walked to the door of 'our' resting chamber. She had promised to never leave me and to never run, but had I kept my promise? No; I had harmed her. I had promised her that she would never be harmed again and yet this time it was I who had injured her.

I sat down in the hall way and wept, feeling Marcus' hand on my shoulder as he sat with me for a while, before Pam joined me on the floor. She curled up on the floor beside me and laid her head in my lap. My sweet child, I had not even acknowledged her earlier. She thought she had lost me last night and now I hadn't even acknowledged that I had seen her this evening. I was batting a thousand at taking care of my family tonight.

"Laurell and the others are healing her, but she seems restless." Pam advised as I stroked her hair.

"I'm sorry I scared you. I love you Pam." And knowing how her mind operated I added, "And none of this is your fault. There was no way you could have prevented any of it." Then once again we sat in silence until I felt a pull, a very familiar pull but with a twist. It was the pull of a newborn vampire calling out to their maker, but stronger…much, much stronger.

I flew back into the room as Laurell made room for me to climb on to the bed with Sookie. She was waking and she looked up into my eyes and smiled.

"Hey baby. Are you okay? I was so worried about you. I love you." Her little voice was so soft and shaky it was not lost on me that she was worried about me. I had almost drained her dry and broken her fragile little body and she was worried about me. Looking confused, she glanced around the room and then down at her barely covered body. She was wrapped only in her grandmother's quilt and I saw a beautiful blush bloom underneath her skin, but vampires don't blush. So how was she calling out to me like a newborn, but still had a beating heart and the ability to blush? I looked to Marcus and asked,

"What is this? How does her heart beat and yet I can feel her like she is my…"

"She was unique as a human and she will be unique in whatever it is that she is becoming." He smiled as he tousled her hair which caused her to blush even more while she pulled the quilt around her as if to cover herself even more. She then smiled at Marcus and Alexander as she said,

"Ya'll know that I love you, but I'm naked and you need to go." The two looked to each other and nodded to her as they simply left the room. She then looked at Laurell and Lillianna.

"I love you Gammy and Lilli you are the best cousin ever. Thanks for helping me save Eric and for tonight when you healed me, I feel so much better. You all are the best family in the world. I am going to miss you so much when you go home and I want you to come back all the time, okay?" Both women leaned in and hugged her gently before they turned to go back upstairs with their men who were waiting patiently by the elevator.

Sookie then turned to Belinda and a very quiet Pam motioning for them to come to her and she patted the bed. The girls climbed in together and she held them, she just held them and cooed to them for the longest time about how much she loved them and that they were her sisters and nest. She used the word nest and that was not lost on me. She was surprisingly lighthearted; I was so full of shame for my behavior and I expected her to be furious with me. I expected her to leave me. How could she stay? How could she still love me? I had betrayed her. I had betrayed not only her, but our bond and promises to each other as well.

"Now go upstairs and enjoy the night. I need to talk to Eric; we'll be up in a while." And with that she kissed Belinda and Pam goodnight and turned to me and smiled. She looked at me with such love, but how is that possible? How could she still love me? She ran her hand through my hair and to my surprise she giggled out,

"You are in so much trouble mister… you scared the crap out of me. You knew what rising up like that on that table could do to you while those chains were around your neck, but you did it anyway. You did to save Belinda. You are the best man in the whole wide world. I love you." She wrapped her arms around me and cooed. I could not believe what I was hearing, but still fearing she just had not realized what I had done I took in a breath to just breathe in her scent which was the same as always but somehow different. I paused to offer her my deepest apology for what I had done to her.

"Dearest one, I am so sorry for last night; for taking you against… I understand if you can no longer be my mate. I failed you and…"

"What are you talking about?" she asked as she looked at me like I had two heads.

"Sookie, I drained you and took and turned you against your will…"

"What? You don't remember anything from last night do you?"

"I remember the shower and drinking the bottles of blood. I remember you healing me and then… nothing really but I dreamed I had captured a faery and was having my way with her…"

"Well you did that." She laughed out a comfortable laugh before realizing the hell I was in, it was then that she pulled me close and said,

"OH no sweetie, your really don't remember. Oh honey, you didn't do that to me baby. You asked me, Eric. You asked you never took; when you needed blood you asked me for it every time and every time I told you yes. You had had a lot of my blood when you told me you wanted me and I told you to take what you wanted. I won't lie it was rougher than normal but it was like coming home… just like it always is with you. When I started responding and trying to keep up you went crazy… all I could feel was lust and need…that was when I got hurt a little but baby you stopped when I asked and you gave me blood immediately to help with the pain. I don't know why you were so wild but you calmed after that for the most part."

"I was wild because I drank two Special Royalty Blends and One Bottle of Fae Royalty Blend. Sookie, it was the three bottles I showed you that were the most dangerous for me to drink." I tried to explain why I had been so out of control.

"I was in a hurry, I must have grabbed them by mistake; I had always meant to move them away from the door…I guess I forgot. I mean, you had been kidnapped and I was trying to prepare the room for when I brought you home. I knew they were hurting you and I was trying to be prepared for when we came home… Oh sweetie, I am so sorry I scared you."

"You're sorry… I almost kill you and you are apologizing to me. You are unbelievable Lover." And with that I hung my head in shame regardless of what I had been given to drink I am ancient and my control should have been better. She had saved me from certain final death and I had repaid her by almost killing and raping her. I was no better than those who had abused and used her. I had become what I had sworn to protect her from.

**SPOV**

I was trying to explain to Eric what had happened the night before between us. He explained that I had given him faery blood to drink _'Well that explains him seeming drunk to me'_ was my thought. I felt bad that he was so sad and that he thought he had taken me against my will. I was trying to explain that he did not do that, but he hung his head and all I could feel coming through the bond was shame. It was horrible to feel that coming from him. I was starving but I knew I had to put that off and help him through this horrible pain.

"Eric, YOU DID NOT RAPE ME. You are not Bill Compton! You are not Bartlett Hale! You did not lose control or at least not in the way you think you did. Baby, did you not hear me?" I paused as his head was still down so I tried again,

"You asked me Eric. Every time you asked to drink. You asked to take me. Eric I have no doubt that if I had asked you to stop you would have. I was never afraid. I just gave up all control and trusted the bond to heal you. I knew you needed my blood and my body to heal you so I GAVE them to you. You did not take me. YOU are my husband, my mate and my maker. I'm a whole lot'a vampire now. You can feel it too, right?" I smiled at him to show I was happy about it but he did not look up to see my face.

"Yes, I can feel it." he said with his head still down.

"You didn't turn me against my will. This is how it has to be honey."

"Our babies, Sookie, our babies…" and with that he wept. I understood, he thought we could no longer have them so I took his hand and put it on my heart.

"Eric, feel…heartbeat… and I'm hungry for FOOD and I have a little pull that lets me know I need your blood too. It was already happening to me Eric. I realized it when I was fighting Breandan that something was happening to me and then he asked me what I was. I knew then. I'm some sort of hybrid. I'm vampire and faery with a little bit of human still floating around in me too." I paused for a moment to tell him the rest.

"Eric, when I did pass out I was with Gran. I crossed the veil and I held our babies. Take a deep breath Eric, breathe in my face and neck…I can still smell them. They will be here soon and I know how they get here. I love you so much baby. Everything is going to be fine. I promise." And then I retold my story to Eric from looking up to see the Bon Temps house to running down the road following his voice; while following my heart.

"So you say you know how they will get here?" he was still breathing in my scent at my neck and smiling like a loon at the scent of our babies.

"Yes and all you have to do is fall asleep and let me wake you up." I giggled and he smiled as he realized what my plan was.

"But Sookie, even if you wake me I have been dead for a thousand years do you really think that is how it will happen?"

"Yes. I will have to wake you several times but I know in my heart of hearts that is how it happens. No real magic, no help needed from Niall or anyone else. Just us and our love, we just have to follow our heart and that is how we will have our babies. We are one heart now Eric; one soul and we have to follow what we feel." He pulled me into his arms and whispered,

"You amaze me. You are sure you are alright?" Eric asked with that gentle voice he only uses with me.

"Yes, but I need blood. I think yours will do the trick." I grinned from ear to ear.

"Lover, you will need to learn how to feed and hunt. I will teach you." And there he was; my vampire was back and he was so proud. He was so proud to be my maker. I laughed and nodded. We needed to talk about what had happened in Dallas, what we were going to do with the Newlins since it was my understanding that Stan had Steve and I knew that Bill had Sarah. I also wanted to go see Hunter but in this moment there were other things that we had to take care of, like each other.

"Maker, will you feed me?" I purred.

"Oh yes, my mate, I will feed you. Are you well enough to feed me?" He asked with uncertainty in his voice.

"Oh I am better than fine." I laughed as I threw the quilt aside, but I did not get the response that I wanted.

"Oh Lover…" his eyes were clouded as he pricked his finger on his fang. He very lovingly began to heal the bite marks that were on my chest and waist. He worked his way down further and settled between my legs healing the marks that were on my inner thigh. He was so precious, so gentle with me. I was amazed and dazzled by the softness and ease that he used with me. Once I was healed to his liking he started to make his way back up to me, but I felt like being playful and lifting the cloud that was hanging over us so I grinned,

"Not so fast cowboy, I think there are a few more spots down there that you might have missed. Could you check for me and kiss them all better?" He smiled his cocky grin and replied,

"You know I do believe you could be correct, but it might take me some time to find them all."

"Well, I think you better get to work then. After that I can feed you and you can feed me." I lifted my eyebrow and smiled. With that he laughed and lowered his head to my hot sex. I was so needy and I ground myself down on his face and I felt him smile against my crotch. _I love it when he does that_. Was my thought and he chuckled as he stopped to say,

"I know you do. That is why I do it. That is why I do most of things I do…because you love it." Then he went back to his task of sending me to the moon. I was panting and writhing against him in no time.

"OH Eric… that feels so good… please do that again… I love it when you kiss me like that."

"Lover, watch me. Don't close your eyes look straight into my eyes Sookie." He commanded and I obeyed. I didn't know if it was a side effect of him now being my maker but I REALLY wanted to please him and make him proud. I leaned up on my elbows and watched him set to his task. He made lazy circles around my throbbing nub with the tip of his tongue, never really licking where I wanted. I was wiggling and trying to get the friction I sooooo desperately needed it but he was not ready to comply with me just yet.

"Patience Lover, my mate…" I had noticed he had started calling me that his 'mate' since we felt the change in our bond. My mind was not functioning on the higher levels but I was thinking that perhaps him thinking of me as his 'child' even though he was my maker was just too weird for him so he was going with 'mate'. Oh hell, if he would just do that thing he just did; with his tongue again, a moment before, I would let him call me Jo-Jo the monkey girl.

"OH God Eric! Again…MORE…HARDER!" and with that I was gone. He pushed me over the edge and I was falling but the wonderful thing about falling with Eric was that he was always there to catch me. I was looking in his eyes when he gently sank his fangs into my thigh and I was flying now instead of falling. I was pulling at his shoulder encouraging him to come up to me and fill my desire.

"Greedy, I love it." he murmured to me as he made a slow ascent up my body, all the while making strategic stops along the way. All I could do was thrash around and beg mewing like a damn kitten wanting more milk and he was chuckling at me, but I did not care. I wanted what I wanted and what I wanted was between his legs and mine. I grabbed him and pumped his cock hard three times and he was not chuckling anymore but growling. I lined him up with my center and raised my hips to meet him as he gently pushed into me.

He was being painfully gentle and slow with me. I knew why, but there was really no need. What Laurell, Belinda and Lillianna had not healed would soon be fine. I leaned forward and felt my fangs descend they clicked a little at the end. It was still my canines elongating instead of a separate set like all vampires had but instead of taking so long to descend, they clicked into place much easier than normal. I smiled at my new toys as I pulled them in and out twice more before I kissed Eric. He took his tongue and circled each fang with his tongue and that was so damn hot! I was in need and he knew it as he bared his neck to me.

"Maker, Master… mmmm…" was all I could say as I drank. He tasted better than he ever had to me. Whatever had happened the night before had sealed the vampire deal for me because blood had NEVER tasted as good as it did tonight. When I finished feeding I was able to just lay back and enjoy him thrusting in and out of me for a moment. I did not raise up to meet him but lay still and just looked down to watch his body enter mine. He caught me watching and asked,

"Do you like that Lover, do you like watching?"

"Yes, I love watching you slip in and out of me."

"Come here." I complied as he lifted me from the bed. He thrust back into me again and walked with me impaled on his cock into the bathroom. He leaned me against the counter top and from that angle there was not a mirror in the room that I could look into and not see us. He kissed me ferociously as he grabbed my hips and really drove into me. He was not being quite so gentle but he was VERY controlled. I knew it would be sometime before he would really let go with me again.

Suddenly something seemed to hit me in the chest it was warm, sweet and all things in the world that were good. It was Sunday morning sleeping in late, it was up early to watch a sunrise, and it was safety and happiness. It was LOVE it was Eric's love for me and it overwhelmed me as I clung to him and wept tears of joy as he brought me to the sweetest completion of my entire life.

**EPOV**

_'So my baby girl likes to watch…well let's let her watch,'_ was my thought as I took her to the bathroom. She was in total lust, and while I drove her a little bit harder than I had been, but I was still holding back. She said she was fine, but just an hour earlier she was broken so in this moment I only wanted her to feel love, all my love. I let every emotion and every ounce of my love for her pound through the bond into her and I watched her eyes cloud over with happiness. She clung to me as she convulsed around me and brought me with her.

"Eric…Eric…" she sniffed as she cried and clung to me. "Thank you… Thank you for loving me. I love you so much." Her little arms were wrapped around me and I pulled her into my arms as I carried her back to the bedroom. I laid her on the bed and whispered,

"You are so precious to me. You are my world and now you tell me thank you for loving you? My sweet precious wife, my mate, how could I not love you. You are all I see and all I know is that you are my fate. I love you and you never have to thank me for it. I could have ten thousand years and I would never be able to earn the love you give me freely." I pulled her to me and let her cry. I could feel her happiness and joy. I loved her so, my sweet, sweet, Lover.

She slept for about a half hour before she woke with a sweet smile and said, "Eric, we need to get up soon and go upstairs. There are a lot of things we have to talk about." She was worried I knew that from the bond. She was afraid to tell me something.

"Sookie, never fear me. What are you afraid to tell me?"

"Eric, Steve Newlin is alive, Stan is holding him for us in Dallas."

"I see. What do you want me to do? Turn him over to the authorities? We can't do that. Stan probably had a hell of a time covering up the war that happened in that house and Newlin will just come after us again and…"

"I want you to kill him. It's the only way we will ever be safe. We have to kill him and stop the movement." Well that surprised me.

"We will have to find a way to kill him so that his wife cannot make him out to be a martyr." I advised with weariness.

"That won't be a problem, we have Sarah too. She is at Bill's house. She actually helped save you and Hunter." She went on to tell me what had happened with Sarah.

"Well that is interesting. What do you suggest we do with the woman?"

"I don't know, but I would have sworn in the middle of everything I heard Gran telling me not to judge a book by its cover or a person by one mistake."

"She has made more than one mistake, Lover."

"Perhaps, but what if Steve is her only mistake? What if he twisted her into something she was not really? I don't know how I know, I just have this feeling that if we get her away from Steve she will be a different person." She had her little brows furrowed together and I was smiling at her sweet face.

"What? Why are you grinning at me?" she questioned with a silly grin of her own.

"Your capacity to forgive is unbelievable."

"I didn't say I forgave her. I want to beat the hell out of her. If she would have picked up a phone earlier Hunter would not have been kidnapped, a lot of innocent people would not have been killed and you would not have been tortured. I just have a feeling she is not a strong person and it took being backed into a corner for her to fight her way out and that has to say something about her at her core. I think she is stronger than she gives herself credit for and once again I don't know how, but I think Newlin hurts her. Why else would you sell out your husband unless you knew in your soul he was a monster?" she theorized and I tended to agree.

"So we are not going to Compton's to kill him or her…pity."

"Eric… You are so bad…" she said as she swatted my arm playfully. "And how did you know I wanted to go to Bon Temps?"

"Well in addition to the fact that the house addition is finished; I also can feel you want to stay there to be close to Hadley while she is there to visit Hunter. You are practically vibrating with excitement to see all of your family, now that 'things' are settled between us." I stroked her hair and talked to her sweetly as she snuggled against me.

"I would like to go up and eat with Pam, Belinda and the family. I know that Laurell will want to go see Hunter. It was hard on her to follow my order to stay in the fight and not go get Hunter. She was so torn. She wanted to save you and her little grandbaby. She was in hell last night."

"And you were not?" I asked knowing the answer but needing her to voice it to clear her soul.

"When I saw you on that rack I wanted to curl up and die. I was so afraid but I knew that I had to push all that aside or I would lose you forever. When you began…to …flake…I almost…" she had tears rolling down her face as I kissed them away, "But then I felt a peace go through me and I could hear Gran again…telling me what to do…" She was calming down and settling into that peaceful place inside of her again which pleased me greatly, but something she said had surprised me.

"Sookie, did you say I had begun to flake?"

"Yes, it scared us all… it was at your neck and legs…Oh sweetie…" she cooed as she laid her hand on my neck and lit her hands as she rubbed the scar.

"I have never known or heard of a vampire to be able to be healed from such a severe wound. I should have met my final death last night. Sookie, you saved me. How did I get so lucky?"

"It was my fault you were taken. Breandan wanted me, not you. He would have gone after whoever I loved most to get me. I saw it in his head, he wanted me to renounce you and become his mate. He was going to kill you, Niall and Hunter. Then he was going to give me to Neave and Lochlan to torture. Then he was going to rape me and use me to take over all Faery." she said very bluntly.

"I know. He was telling me what he was going to do with you while he was torturing me with the others. He was getting great laughs from the crowd before you popped in to kick his ass." I smiled at the last words.

"We really should get up and get going if we are going to Bon Temps tonight." She smiled but I said,

"I promise to get up right after you let me see your fangs again… just once more Lover." As she clicked her sweet little fangs out I leaned in and licked the tip of each fang. Then I circle them again with my tongue and listened to her sweet moans. "Sookie, I might need to do more than just SEE your fangs." And with no protest at all she rolled over on top of me and took me to task.

An hour later we were on our way up stairs to see the others so we could head to Bon Temps and as she reached to hold my hand in the elevator she said,

"I hope Pam made pizza." And just like that, I was home.

**Bill POV **

I did as Sookie requested and I went straight for where the boy was supposed to be. There weren't any Were guards, no humans or Fae. Newlin must not think much of his mate to not have her guarded. I tapped on the door,

"Hunter, it's Bill, your Aunt Sook…" that was as far as I got when the door was flung open and the woman standing there was holding a cross bow at my chest. She was beautiful but obviously battered and tired. There was a dead Were just inside the door and I could only guess he had come for the boy and she had protected him.

"You stay right there and don't move! I know how to use this and I will…" she was terrified but holding her ground. A tiny boy peeked around her and said,

"It's okay! That's him Miss Sawah. That's who Aunt Suekee sent for us." She dropped the cross bow and went slack. She had given all she could to protect him and now that someone else was there to protect him she had nothing else left in her. I caught her and picked up the boy as well.

"Okay Hunter, let's get out of here and get you to your dad and mom alright?"

"Yes pweesse. We have to take care of Miss Sawah now too she is real tired and the man was real mean to her… both of them… but she saved me." So I moved to the front yard with my vampire speed to meet up with the Faery that was to pop us to Bon Temp. I wanted to stay and help Sookie but she was adamant that I stay with Hunter, so I did as I was commanded.

I took Hunter to Sookie's home as I had been instructed to do. Remy's eyes filled with tears as Hunter ran to him with all his strength. It made me think of, and miss, my Thomas for the first time in a long time. I continued to hold Sarah in my arms since she gave me no signals of waking. I waited for the Royal Fae guard to arrive with Sophie-Anne and Hadley before I felt comfortable enough to go home and for reasons I cannot explain, I took Sarah with me. As I turned to go Hunter called out to me,

"He used to hurt her Uncle Bill…she's really scared." I nodded and assured him I would see to her and for the same unexplained reason I really wanted to do just that.

When I arrived at my home I took her up to the bedroom I had considered to be Sookie's for the longest time. I had just recently removed her personal items that she had left behind. Just a change of clothes, a nightgown and a pair of shoes, but it was all I had left of her and it was hard to box up. I was never able to take it across the graveyard and leave it on her front porch; it still sat in my empty kitchen. I laid Sarah down on the bed and she made a slight noise but I shushed her back to sleep. I pulled a chair up beside the bed and watched her sleep, but I had no idea why…none.

Sometime in the night she woke with a scream,

"Steve NO please… I won't do it again…please…" she was panting and terrified as I tried to calm her.

"Mrs. Newlin, you are safe… please calm down… no one is going to hurt you." She looked at me with hollow eyes and as she scrambled back from me she asked,

"Are you a vampire?"

"Yes, but I won't harm you. My name is William Compton, you may call me Bill if you like and I assure you that you are safe."

"Is Steve dead?"

"No"

"Then I am not safe; he will come for me. He will know I'm the one responsible for how you all got in the house. He'll kill me this time. Maybe it's for the best. I'm too tired to fight anymore…" and with that the tears that broke my heart started… "I'm so tired…so damn tired…scared…please...please…" and she leaned over and curled into a ball in the middle of the bed. I could not help myself; I very gently climbed onto the bed and pulled her into my arms.

"Shush… you are alright. He cannot get to you here and he is in custody for what he did. You are safe. I will keep you safe. Rest… Just rest." and with that she slept.

When she woke again I glamoured her into telling me most of her life story, it was easier on her that way. She would not remember having to tell me all the sordid details of her abuse or how her sister had disappeared after moving to New Orleans and taking a vampire lover. When she told me about her sister I knew then why I felt pulled to her. I also knew I would do whatever I had to do to see that she was safe. I would not let Eric kill her for her part in anything Newlin had done. She was just an abused woman who did not have a way out, but now that she did she was willing to take it.

I made sure the Fae Guard that was assigned to my home by Sookie knew to take care of her and that she was my guest not my prisoner before I went to rest for the day. I crept back upstairs and held her again for a few moments before dawn. As I went to leave the room I heard her say,

"Thank you William."I smiled to myself and went to rest knowing I wanted to know everything about those beautiful smoky eyes and soft voice.

The next night I expected Eric and Sookie at nightfall but they were not there til much later. I watched Sarah descend the staircase and walk straight to me. I knew she wanted me to hold her and with much ease, almost too much ease, I took her into my arms and held her. At some point I realized she had fallen asleep in my arms and I wondered how long it had been since she felt safe enough to sleep like this. I felt Sookie approaching, but I could not bring my gaze from Sarah's face to meet Sookie when she came into the house, just like she had a million times before when she was mine.

**SPOV**

"She is fragile. He beat her and abused her in unimaginable ways, although she seems to blame herself for what he did to her." he said absently as he looked down at her sleeping form in his lap. He gently stroked her hair and I could not help but reply,

"Most abuse victims blame themselves or make excuses for their abusers." His face looked stricken and I realized my comment had stung. "I was talking about my Uncle, not you." I added and that seemed to ease his pain until Eric added,

"You used to make excuses for him too Sookie. Now what do we do with the woman?"

"Bill, what do you think?"

"She is afraid, all alone and has nowhere to go. Her sister was her only family and when she was murdered it did change her. She did hate all vampires for a long time but now she sees that is wrong." She began to wake and looked sleepily up at Bill as he smiled down at her and asked,

"How do you feel?"

"Safe." That just about said it all. I wondered how long it had been since Sarah Newlin had felt safe. She suddenly realized she wasn't alone with Bill and smiled sadly as she looked at us and then back to him. "William, can you be the one to do it? I won't be so scared if it's you, if you hold me. I know I don't deserve special treatment after all I have done, but please if you're the one to do it…" Pitiful tears of fear rolled down her face as she sobbed against him.

"Sarah, what do you mean? Do what?" he asked gently with great confusion as he stroked her hair and attempted to wipe her tears. I on the other hand had seen what she thought we were going to do. She thought we were there to kill her. The million dollar question was 'were we?'

**A/N: dum dum dum… we are winding down my lovelies… my sweet baby minions how I love you and this glorious ride. Thank you for being patient as we wait for FF to let me download this to the story…ugh… so frustrated! HUGS****J**


	39. Chapter 39  Promises, Redemption & Stor

**Chapter 39 – Promises, Redemption and Stories from the Past**

**A/N:** okay I am having **second thoughts about splitting the wedding off from here **… I may put the wedding in this story. It would not add that many chapters to it… **what do you guys think?** I would **still have to take a 10-12 day break** in June. As always, I own nothing it all belongs to Mrs. Harris .THIS IS ALL FOR FUN AND THE LOVE OF WRITING! I LOVE my BETA the wonderful **Sassyvampmama** and my content editor **KJWRIT**. You guys are great.

Please enter the **SNARKY SIDE KICK** Contest. We are now taking entries and we have a _signed copy of Dead Reckoning for the 1__st__ place winner!_ **GOOD LUCK!**

_**LAST TIME: (After a night of repairing each other and their love, Sookie and Eric leave for Bon Temp to deal with Sarah Newlin and to check in on Hunter.)**_

**SPOV**

"**Bill, what do you think?"**

"**She is afraid, all alone and has nowhere to go. Her sister was her only family and when she was murdered it did change her. She did hate all vampires for a long time but now she sees that is wrong." She began to wake and looked sleepily up at Bill he smiled down at her and asked,**

"**How do you feel?"**

"**Safe." That just about said it all. I wondered how long it had been since Sarah Newlin had felt safe. She suddenly realized she wasn't alone with Bill. She smiled a sad smile as she looked at us and then back to him. "William, can you be the one to do it? I won't be so scared if it's you, if you hold me. I know I don't deserve special treatment after what all I have done, but please if you're the one to do it…" **

"**Sarah, what do you mean? Do what?" he asked gently with great confusion, but I had seen what she thought. She thought we were there to kill her. The million dollar question was 'were we'.**

**SPOV**

"Sarah, we are not going to kill you." Bill gasped and pulled her into his embrace as I realized what we were going to do so I continued, "You are going to tell Bill everything you know about FOTS and he is going to catalog all the information so we can use it to protect ourselves. I am NOT saying I forgive you. I don't know if I can ever do that, but I'll leave you in Bill's care since you feel safe with him. During the day, for now until we know we can trust you, you will be working with Sam Merlotte and one of the Fae Guard will be with you at all times; If you try to leave Bon Temps or do anything I don't much like, I will kill you Sarah. This is your only chance." Looks like I had just hired my own replacement for my old job at Merlotte's.

"I understand." That was all she said as she cuddled closer into Bill's side and I looked to Eric and asked,

"Is that agreeable with you my husband? You are the King of this territory so it is ultimately your decision, but as your wife and Queen this, is what I think is best." I asked and advised.

"Yes, I agree with your decision. She protected the boy and helped you gain entrance to her home so that you could retrieve us so yes, I will give her this ONE chance."

"Thank you." She whispered as Bill very lovingly patted her hand. I wanted to talk to Bill alone for a moment though I was not sure leaving a terrified Sarah with Eric was a good idea, but just then Hunter bounced into Bill's house like he owned the place.

"Uncle Erwic! Uncle Erwic!" he shouted as he jumped into Eric's arms. I only got a nod and a wave with a little,

"Hey Aunt Suekee" '_well I see how it is' _I thought as I laughed at his reaction to Eric. I could not help but think how easy Eric was to love if he loved you. Once Eric Northman loved you…you were his and that was that and it was easily translated especially to a child.

"Well hello little man. I want to tell you how brave you were and how proud I was of you. I heard you refuse to leave me. I was so honored." He smiled at Hunter's enthusiasm and even shook Remy's hand as he came in the house.

Hunter bowed his little head and said,

"I'm sowee I couldn't save you myself." Eric tousled his hair and whispered,

"But you did. You gave me your courage. Now what are all these toys you seem to have?" Eric was the master conversation changer. Once again I smiled at how easy it was for him to love this small boy.

I looked around at what Eric was talking about. It would seem that Hunter had been spoiled rotten over the previous night and tonight I could see it all in his head. He wanted his Uncle Eric, Uncle Bill and Miss Sarah to see all his new toys! It would seem that Niall, Laurell and Felipe might have gone a little bit over board with presents. Not to mention Hadley and Sophie-Anne. I watched Eric hug Hunter again and look at the airplane he had just received from someone. I chose that moment to ask to speak with Bill alone.

"Bill, may I talk to you in the study?"

"Of course, Mistress." He was so formal in front of Eric but I could still feel how much he loved me and it made my heart soften a little bit toward him. We walked in silence to the study, but once inside I dove right in with,

"Bill, what happened between you and Sarah?"

"She has never been loved or cared for; that is a bigger sin than any she herself has ever committed. Newlin used her tragedy to brainwash her against all vampires." He paused and then blurted out, "I believe that … Do you remember Liam?"

"Yes. That creepy friend of yours who tried to drain me in the den? Yeah I kinda remember him." I snorted out very un-lady like.

"He killed her sister."

"How do you know?"

"I recognized the description she gave of him; there are not too many vampires with tattoos on their head and down there spine. The dates and place matches up too. They were in New Orleans before I came here and that is when her sister was killed." He tried to explain.

"But why do you want to help her? You are being so gentle and sweet with her…dear God…Bill were you there? Did you see Liam kill her?"

"Not exactly." He answered evasively.

"What does that mean?" I was almost afraid to ask.

"He and Malcolm brought her to New Orleans about a month before he 'accidentally' drained her at court and Sophie-Anne had left it to me to dispose of her body. She had been a donor at court that night and Liam said that he did not know she had already given more than her share. He was an idiot!" He did air quotes over accidentally so I knew what that meant.

"Who all fed off her that night?"

"Sophie, Andre and I had had her. We dressed her, fed her and thought we had sent her on her way. Malcolm, Dianne and Liam came in unbeknownst to us. Liam said he took her into the garden and… well you know what he did."

"Bill…How?" 'How could you' was the question I wanted to ask, but the words would not form.

"I was a different vampire then. You changed me. I can be better; I AM better thanks to you and I want to help her be better as well. I am very much drawn to her and I know that I can make her feel safe."

"Bill Compton, I am telling you this once and you better hear me! If you have any designs on having a relationship with that woman you better damn well tell her TONIGHT what you just told me! Bill, you better learn from your past and don't you keep any secrets from her." I all but shouted as I poked him in the chest before changing my tone to that of worry and said,

"And SHIT Bill, be careful, this is Sarah freakin' Newlin for the Shepherd of Judea's sake; on the one hand I do see her as a victim, but on the other hand, she almost killed me- just because someone told her too. Not to mention the fact that she helped kidnap and kill other vampires…" but the look in his eyes made me say, "I can tell you're dug in and you're going to do what you're going to do, but please don't just jump in head first." I ranted, but he answered me with his sweet smile,

"Says the woman who pledged herself to a vampire after only one week... Sookie, it warms my heart to see that on some level you care enough to tell me these things." And he smiled in his unassuming sweet gentlemanly way that always won me back over to being his friend, damn him.

"Oh Bill, I will always love you...I'm just not…"

"I know Sookie, I know." I patted his hand and left him in his study walking to the den to find Eric, but he was sitting on the steps waiting on me. Bill walked on by and watched Sarah and Hunter through the door with a smile on his face, I smiled too watching him fall helplessly and hopelessly in love with Sarah Newlin; who the hell would have thought it! Then Eric spoke and my smile faded.

"I hate it when you tell him you love him."

"Baby, it's not that kind of love…"

"I know, but I hate it nonetheless. I hate that he was your first. I hate that he holds a place in your heart that I can never claim. I can never lay claim to that first love spot in your heart." I didn't know exactly what to say to that, but I was saved once again by Hunter. He came into the room pulling Sarah behind him and climbed into Eric's arms as he said,

"Uncle Erwic, its okay, don't be sad. Aunt Suekee loves you more than the sun and moon. I see it in her head. She thinks you make the world bwight!" Eric smiled and tousled his hair as he looked up at me with so much love and devotion I swore to myself right then and there that I would never tell another man I loved him, no matter how I meant it. Then Hunter spoke again but in a whisper, the kind that children don't think you can hear but you can as he motioned toward Sarah.

"Oh, and she is okay now Uncle Erwic…I see it in her head…she wants to be here; she likes it here. Nobody yells at her or hits her. She is a nice lady…" Eric did not respond to either of the comments Hunter made and instead he hugged Hunter saying,

"I need to talk to Miss Sarah and have a 'grown-up' conversation. I need you to put your shield up and not listen. Will you do this for me, little one?"

"I'm not a wittle kid!" he pouted while crossing his little arms and stomping his foot. _'Oh God he is my nephew.'_ I thought as I saw him stomp his little foot. I wanted to giggle but did not dare. He was trying to show that he was going to be a little alpha dog by standing up to Eric. Remy smiled but quickly covered his face as did Hadley.

"Hunter you are almost 5 years old and well on your way to being a great man and you have a warrior's heart. I also know that you are highly intelligent, but I do not wish for you to see my thoughts. I love you little one and I want you to never fear me. IF you see my thoughts right now and what I want to do to those that harmed and took you, you might fear me. I am a vampire, Hunter, I kill what comes after my family and you are my family. Do you understand?" He was so blunt, but sometimes little kids get blunt and understand it better than you think.

"Okay. I'm gonna go to see Paw-Paw and Gammy." He reached up and took Remy's hand but before he reached for Hadley's he turned around, looked Eric straight in the face and said,

"I wuv you Uncle Erwic and I may be little and not a vampire, but I would 'wip his head off too if I wuz big 'nough." Remy looked down at his son and smiled before looking to Eric and saying,

"I'm going to Dallas with you."Eric nodded in agreement as the two Savoy men left the building with a very serene Hadley in tow.

"Sarah, I am going to kill your husband," that was Eric's opening line as he leaned in to glamour her, "how do you feel about that?" he asked her softly as he leaned in to glamour her. She looked very intently into his eyes and said,

"Your eyes are so blue." She responded so Eric looked at her again and said,

"Yes they are, almost the same shade as yours. Now what do you think of me killing Steve?"

"It will be a relief. He won't be able to hurt me anymore or anyone else for that matter. Will you hurt him very much? I don't think I would like that… no… I don't think… he used to hurt me and I would think _'I wouldn't do to a dog'_ what he did to me… so no I don't want him to hurt, but I don't mind him being dead." She was one big ole babbling sentence but who the hell was I to judge.

My husband loved and adored me. My husband had more times than I could count gone to the mats to protect and save me… hell he had saved me when I had not even appreciated him saving me. Her husband, on the other hand, had beaten and abused her. Her husband left her to die and had not even cared enough to try to save her last night. When he was running I saw a car in his head. He had been headed for the garage not for his office. He never thought to save her, she never even entered his mind.

Eric released her from the glamour and she shook her head like a dog with wet ears. Bill pulled her close to him and said,

"She has had enough tonight. My King, with all due respect we should go to Dallas tomorrow night. I spoke to Stan and he advised that he has the situation there under control. She was afraid, so I called to assure her that Stan still had Mr. Newlin in custody." he explained in a hurry so that Eric would not think he had usurped his authority by contacting Stan.

"Very well, Compton," he said Bill's last name like it stuck in his throat. "we will go tomorrow night. I will speak with Savoy since he wants to accompany us." Before anyone else could speak, Sarah did.

"May I go? I would like to be there."

"You want to watch him die?" Eric asked with confusion.

"No, but someone should be there to pray for him afterwards, and I guess I should be the one." she said with hurt in her voice. She looked at Bill, "Do you think God will forgive him because I don't think I can, but feel like I should pray for him. Do you think God will hear me even if I do pray? I have been so lost." She was still babbling, but in that moment I knew exactly how she felt. I had it happen to me last night. I couldn't pray to God because I had not talked to Him for so long so both of us looked at Bill and waited for an answer we hoped we could live with.

"I think God is always waiting for us to pray to Him. I think He is always willing to forgive. I believe the reason so many turn from Him is our own self hate, our own need to make ourselves suffer for our short comings and what we perceive as sin. Do you know what I have come to believe sin truly means?" she shook her head no and Bill answered,

"**S**elf **I**mposed **N**onsense" he smiled and so did she. I took in what Bill said and thought that perhaps tonight before I went to bed I owed **Someone **a very long conversation and perhaps an apology. Gran would be so proud. Eric looked at me and smiled as he took me into his arms. I wondered what he was thinking, but could not get an exact read on it, which meant he wanted to tell me alone. We told Bill and Sarah goodnight and left to go to Gran's house.

Once inside we hurriedly told our family and friends goodnight as we went to check out our brand new tricked out "hidey-hole" basement. Laurell and Marcus had decided to return to the Shreveport house. Sophie-Anne was tucked away in the tiny hidey-hole in the upstairs bedroom with Hadley sleeping in that guest room. Hunter and Remy where in my old upstairs room, the one I had used before Gran had died. Once alone, Eric looked at me and gave me the same smile he had given me at Bill's house. I noted that my room, Gran's room was missing the bed. I started to ask why that was, but as we walked into our new resting chamber suite I was happy to see that bed was down there.

"I am glad you have re-found your faith. I know how important it is to you and now I believe the circle will soon be complete for us to have our babies." What-the-hell?

**EPOV**

I don't know how I knew, but I knew that Sookie's faith and beliefs were all tied into us being able to have our children. I also knew it had everything to do with her ability. Not only was it intertwined with her Fae ability, but her beliefs were a crucial part of her that she had pushed away to have me. I hated that she felt like she was torn between her faith and my world. I was glad she was going to let her beliefs back into her heart. I may not have believed exactly what she believed, but I did believe in her God and His power. I also still believed in Odin and his power, but that was neither here nor there. All that mattered was that her soul was now at rest, she felt peaceful. So I told her,

"I am glad you have re-found your faith. I know how important it is to you and now I believe the circle will soon be complete for us to have our babies." She looked at me like I had two heads and I knew that I was going to have to elaborate so I tried to explain how I knew she felt torn between the human and supernatural worlds and that she did not have to choose. She nodded as she said,

"You always know what to say. I love you." She walked toward the bed and looked up at me as she sat down.

"We fell in love in this bed." She smiled and I said,

"No we didn't. We fell in love in my car." I smirked referring to the night I drove her to the orgy. She grinned and said,

"Okay, we consummated our love in this bed." She grinned.

"No, that happened in Jackson if you want to get technical."

"It did not!"

"You deny that I gave you a spectacular orgasm that night?"

"Yes you did, but we did not make love until the night you were staying with me after we fooled around in the shower and you took me to bed. I always thought it was sweet that you dried me off and carried me to bed. And you know that's what I'm talking about you mean ole vampire." she giggled at me. I love it when she calls me that, almost as much as when she calls me Viking. I threw my head back and laughed.

"I love it when you laugh like that. I was afraid I would never hear you laugh like that again, when I saw you on that table." She had suddenly gotten so serious.

"Dearest One, I am here now. I bet I can make you laugh." I said trying to lighten the mood.

"Okay, give it your best shot."

"On the way to the orgy, I had to recite Old Norse prayers to keep from pulling over and taking you on the hood of my car." She laughed and then giggled out,

"You did try to take me on the hood of your car." I laughed again and added,

"I had stopped praying at that point; besides you had kissed me, really kissed me, by then. I had kissed you once before in Dallas, but as we stood on that porch, you really kissed me. When we reached the car for you to catch your breath you were so innocent and darling. Asking if people really liked to have sex with people they did not care about. I loved that. I wanted you so damn bad I could barely stop myself. It was a good thing Bill walked out of the woods then because I would not have liked the memory of our first time being on the hood of my car."

"I am not now, nor have I ever been, a darling." She pouted and I had no doubt was about to stomp her little foot if I would let her.

"Yes, you are. Everyone thinks so."

"Do not!"

"You, my sweet wife, are a darling innocent angel and there is nothing you can do about it." I threw down the challenge, half knowing what I was doing but then again with Sookie you just never can tell.

"Really? Wanna bet?" she smirked.

"I love our wagers Sookie. I do believe I have only lost one."

"Well, you are going to lose tonight big boy." She smirked as she began to undress me, and as in the past I just thought _'shit I am going to lose.'_"

She lit her hands and suddenly I could not move my arms, it was as if I were bound to the bed. She grinned at me and stripped me of my clothes then my legs seemed to be bound as well. She crawled up my body and whispered in my ear.

"Is this alright my love, do you give control over to me?"

"YES…" I loved that she asked me that. She loved me so much and knowing that I had just been bound against my will she wanted to make sure she replaced the bad with good, just like she had done for me in the past. She then began a descent down my body that left me shaken to my core. She licked and teased me in a way that was driving me insane.

"Do you still think I'm a darling?" she purred as she looked up the length of my body and engulfed my cock in her mouth.

"Ah… Sookie… You are darling." I was not ready to give up yet.

"Well, let see how you do when you aren't getting what you want." She leaned back away from me and spread her legs. She started play with her sweet pussy and I wanted nothing more that to touch and lick her where her fingers now played. She grinned at me and said,

"Mmmm Eric, this feels so good. It's such a wet little pussy and my sweet throbbing clit feels so good when I rub it like this. Don't you wish you could touch it, feel it or lick it? Mmmm, yes… I think you've said before you like the way I taste haven't you? Would you like a little taste now?" she teased as she offered me her fingers that I gladly licked clean before saying,

"You will pay for this Lover."

"No I won't. When I release you, you are going to eat my pussy like a good boy and admit that I'm not now nor have I ever been a darling. Then you can punish me for being such a bad little Faery or am I your bad little vampire now?"

"You will always be my bad little Faery and I am going to make you come until you beg me to let you rest."

"Oh Master, that sounds so good." she purred as she began to play with herself again. "Are you going to touch me here Eric? Like this…" she moaned as her fingers rubbed and teased her own body. She crawled on top of me and rubbed her wet core with the tip of my cock. It felt good as she would take the head and just let it barely slip inside her. I was about to beg and she knew it as she pulled off me and just looked at me.

"Please Sookie?"

"Please what, Eric? What do you have to say?"

"You are not a darling; you are an evil mistress who can punish me as your willing slave. Now please put my cock in that sweet, hot pussy."

"Not yet… you have to kiss it to make sure it's wet enough. I mean, you're so big… you wouldn't want to push in and it not be wet enough now would you my slave? You wouldn't want to hurt your little faery would you?" she smirked and climbed on top of my face. She lowered her core to my mouth and I was in heaven. She released my hands and I grabbed her by her hips and pressed her down as hard as I could to my face. She was screaming how good and how hot it was, but I just kept eating. I did something I had not done with her yet; I pricked her little nub with my fangs and let the blood trickle into my mouth.

"Oh yes… Eric please... suck... there now please…" and I did as she asked. She totally released me and I threw her on her back and looked down into her eyes as I said,

"I claim you now woman. I claim you now."

"Yes… hard please…." she begged as I slammed into her with everything I had and she thrust up to meet me. We were clawing and biting each other. She was screaming yes over and over and all I could do was grunt and push into her deeper. I pulled her legs up and threw them over my shoulders so I could go deeper as she yelled,

"Faster, harder….more…" and that was what I did for both of us. I came hard as she clenched around my cock and we lay in silence for a good ten minutes, neither of us able to move or speak. It was I, who spoke first,

"Sookie…"

"Yes Eric?"

"You are a darling." As I carried her to the bathtub she laughed and so did I.

I bathed her thoroughly and placed her lovingly in our bed. She was wonderful to me. How I deserved her I did not know. I closed my eyes to go into down time, but before I did, I saw her climb back out of the bed and go onto her knees. I watched quietly as she clasped her little hands and prayed for the first time in long time.

"Dear God, I'm sorry I haven't prayed lately and I know I've not been a good Christian, but thank you for giving me Eric and all the good things in my life. I swear I'll be a good momma to those babies whenever you see fit to send them down. I'll try to do better. Amen." I smiled but did not acknowledge what she said or did as it was a private moment between her and her God.

**BILL POV**

Sarah was extremely tired when Sookie and Eric left and truth be told so was I, but I needed to speak with her about everything Sookie and I had spoken about earlier. For once in my existence I was going to do the right thing. I was going to set things right for this woman even if it meant she would no longer look at me the way she was right now.

"Sarah, I know you are tired but I must speak with you and it will be hard for you to hear."

"Alright." she sighed and leaned away from me.

"Sarah…what?"

"You're sending me away after we go to Dallas, aren't you?"

"No, never. You may stay here for as long as you like. What I need to talk to you about is your sister."

"What about my sister?"

"I met Elizabeth when she came to New Orleans we were introduced by Liam and Malcolm; they were mutual acquaintances, if you will. She and I became close over a period of time and she became one of my donors."

"Did you kill her?" She was shaking as I shook my head no and she looked relieved- until she heard the rest of what I had to say,

"No, but I was there the night she was killed. Do you want to know everything?"

"Yes, I do." So I told her the cold hard truth.

"Elizabeth donated to several vampires that night. I offered to see her home, but she was put out with me because I would not claim her as mine. I was trying to get her out of the life, not deeper into it. But she did not see it that way, not to mention that technically she was Liam's. Somewhere between the palace solarium and the foyer Liam came in and he took a deep feeding from her and it drained her. The Queen, Sophie-Anne forbid me from killing him, but I wanted to." I paused out of human habit to catch the breath that I did not need.

"What happened to her body?"

"I buried her."

"Where, where did you bury her, in New Orleans?"

"No, it happened early enough in the evening that I was able to drive here to my ancestral home and I buried her there out past the trees; there is a grave yard and she is buried there in my grave."

"Your grave? What…why?"

"It is an empty grave; it always was. It would seem that my wife, she missed me terribly when I did not come home from the Civil War, and from what I read in her diary it gave her closure to bury my uniform. It was one that was sent to her from a friend when the war was over. I knew it was sacred ground and that Elizabeth could find peace if I buried her there." I was done with my tale so I waited to see what Sarah did next.

"Do you have a flower garden outside?"

"No, but there are several patches of wild flowers in the side yard that you could pick and even some wild roses that grow up the side of the house." I replied, knowing she wanted to take flowers to her sister's grave.

"Alright, can we do that now? Will you take me to her?"

"Of course I will Sarah."

We walked to the gravesite with freshly picked flowers in her hand, and upon reaching my headstone, she dropped to her knees and began speaking to her sister.

"Hi Lizzy, I'm sorry I hung up on you the last time you called me. I was so angry that you left and I was all alone with that idiot of an uncle of ours. I was miserable without you. I know that nobody ever wanted us and that is why you went with him. I know it was because you thought he wanted you. I miss you. I'm glad you had a friend like Bill and that he buried you here. I hope you finally found peace. I love you." She cried and flung herself into my arms and whispered,

"Thank you for taking care of her when you could have just thrown her away. That is what we were used to so it's nice that you didn't and that you haven't with me." She kept her head against my neck and it felt wonderful to be needed and wanted by someone. I knew in this moment that she would be my greatest blessing and perhaps my redemption or she would be my final end.

**EPOV**

I wished I could say that my beloved was able to sleep until the next afternoon, but we were awoken around 3 am with a soft knocking on our Bon Temps resting chamber door. I knew it was Pam, but what in the world was she doing here? With a quick check to our bond I knew what she needed and I started to answer the door but Sookie stopped me and said,

"For the love of God Eric, Belinda is with her; put on some pants." To which I heard Belinda giggle a little from the other side of the door. So I put on a pair track pants while Sookie pulled on a shirt and shorts as well. I opened the door and Pam was standing there with her eyes down. I had spent no real time with her since I had almost abandoned her to the final death. I sent a mental note to Sookie to explain, but somehow she already knew. I opened my arms and she walked into my embrace.

"You know, I love you more when you are ruthless and cold?" I smiled and she nodded with a small grin. I then asked the only question I could, "Which story do you want to hear?" I asked as I picked her up and sat down on the bed with her, as Sookie directed Belinda to sit on the bed as well.

"The one where Aunna stowed away on your boat-" was her reply, which was quickly followed by,

"I want to be in the middle, please?" This was directed toward Sookie. Sookie smiled and nodded as I moved Pam from my left side to my right to put her between Sookie and I. Sookie wrapped her arms around Pam and just held her tightly.

"It's alright Pammy, we are here, we all made it…we are not leaving you." She then wrapped her other arm around Belinda as well.

"My girls, you are being ridiculous. It will take more than the likes of Steve Newlin to take Sookie or me from this world." I gently teased but Pam looked up at me with hollow eyes that matched Belinda's as she said,

"You were flaking… You always told me if I ever saw you flaking to run… not to watch… that it was over…" She was right, I had told her that.

"My child, my sweet child… I am sorry you were frightened." We held her until the crying seemed to stop and she looked up at me and smiled,

"So, are you going to tell me the damn story or not? I still have to get home before sunrise! There is NO WAY I am staying down here with you two all day. God knows what will go on in this bed with me dead to the world in it." When she snarked in typical Pam fashion I felt better knowing that she was feeling better. I pulled her into my arms and began to tell her favorite story.

She loved it when I would tell her of Aunna; my precious little stow away with her wooden sword, ready to go to battle with her brothers and I. Belinda had never heard this tale before. I had mentioned it in passing to Sookie once, but she too, was new to the story. When I finished my tale they were all laughing at Aunna's reaction to being taken back home. I chided her in front of my men, but quietly promised to take her sailing upon my return. It was the only way to get her off the boat and into her mother's arms. We all sat together for a while longer and spoke of nothing and everything all at the same time. Soon it was close to dawn and Belinda yawned and said,

"Pam, if you want to sleep in our bed I need to pop us home now. I am wiped out and I need to go to bed sweetheart." Belinda hugged Sookie and patted my leg as she rose off the bed and Pam responded by kissing my cheek, hugging Sookie and whispering,

"I love you. You are a good maker and I am glad you made her my sister." That was a lot of emotion for Pam Ravencroft. She then turned to Belinda and said, "I'm ready, let's go home," and just like that they were gone. Sookie looked at me softly and said,

"Rest well husband, because when the sun rises and I wake up… YOU wake up…" and she grinned. Damn it, I always lose my bets with her, but by the gods if I don't have a fabulous time losing to her.

**A/N: mmmmm day time lovin'… and let's check in with Sarah too… we might want to see what she is up to during the day. So Tuesday is my birthday so leave Momma Minion some love! HUGS **


	40. Chapter 40 For Belinda and Sarah

Chapter 40 – For Belinda and Sarah

**A/N: ***IMPORTANT NOTE PLEASE READ: **_I am changing my pen name from _**Tracee40 **_to _**MommaMinion40**_ (it is what all of you sweet baby minions call me anyway! Ha) I have been told this will not affect your author alerts or story alerts but if I disappear from your alerts you will have to re-alert. _**I have a security issue and I have to do this. Thanks for understanding.**

There is no scene in here but there is mention of rape and torture that has happened to someone in the past. Just a heads up and as always if **you **or someone you know is being abused **GET OUT**. There is help at Call 1-800-621-HOPE.

******* End Important note ******

_**LAST TIME: (Sookie and Eric give Sarah Newlin another chance and make Bill her charge. There was a heartwarming scene between Eric and Hunter. Sookie offers Bill some good advice concerning Sarah. Eric tells Sarah of his plans for Steve to see how she will react. Bill offers some good advice to Sarah and inadvertently Sookie as well. Sookie and Eric spend their first night in their new resting chamber at Gran's house. Bill tells Sarah the truth about her sister's fate. Pam and Belinda show up at Gran's in the early hours needing alone time with their nest.)**_

**EPOV**

**She loved it when I would tell her of Aunna, my little stow away with her wooden sword; ready to go to battle with her brothers and I. Belinda had never heard the tale. I had mentioned it in passing to Sookie once but she too was new to the story. When I finished my tale they were all laughing at Aunna reaction to being taken back home. I chided her in front of my men, but promised her to take her sailing upon my return. It was the only way to get her off the boat and into her mother's arms. We all sat together for a while longer and spoke of nothing and everything all at the same time. Soon it was close to dawn and Belinda yawned and said,**

"**Pam, if you want to sleep in our bed I need to pop us home now. I am wiped out and I need to go to bed sweetheart." Belinda hugged Sookie and patted my leg as she rose off the bed and Pam responded by kissing my cheek, hugging Sookie and whispering,**

"**I love you. You are a good maker and I am glad you made her my sister." That was a lot of emotion for Pam Ravencroft. She then turned to Belinda and said, "I'm ready, let's go home." and just like that they were gone. Sookie looked at me softly and said,**

"**Rest well husband, because when the sun rises and I wake up… YOU wake up…" and she grinned. Damn it, I always lose my bets with her, but by the gods if I don't have a fabulous time losing to her.**

**SPOV**

The sun had risen and Eric was pulled to his daytime sleep. I guessed I should let the poor guy get a little rest before I wake him because God knows he won't get any rest once I do. I giggled to myself as I tried to decide what to do for a few hours and thought about going outside, but the question was, could I? I had not felt the pull of the sun the way Eric described it to me. I felt something and I knew the sun was up but I had not felt compelled to sleep. I hoped that I would not be condemned to the darkness but if I was I was. That ship had sailed, I was what I was and that thought made me smile.

I tentatively walked upstairs and could feel everyone in the house. Remy, Hunter and Hadley were asleep and Sophie-Anne was still dead for the day. I opened the inner door and secured it behind me as to make sure no sunlight could make its way to my mate before opening the outer door with a slight hesitation. Since the resting chamber at our house is so far under- ground there is no need for a double set but here at Gran's we added a double set for security and sun blockage. After seeing Bill burned by sunlight before and knowing it did not look pleasant, I was not looking forward to being burnt if I indeed could not be in the sun anymore. I walked into the washroom off the kitchen where the sunlight had flooded the entire room. It was lovely, so lovely and I felt nothing but the warmth of the sun on my face as I sighed in relief.

The clock said it was 6:15 am and I was suddenly starving so I basically cleaned out the refrigerator and ate everything in sight. The problem was I was still hungry when I finished and when I saw some bottles of True Blood in the fridge I thought _'what the hell?' _and pulled one out and began to drink.

"ACK! That's crap! I'm never letting Eric drink this shit again. I don't care if we have to hire a donor… shit… that's awful!" I said out loud to myself, but then I heard laughter and looked up to see Hadley smiling at me.

"Oh Sookie, I'm sorry. I knew something was different about you but I couldn't put my finger on it last night. It is such a subtle change." She walked forward and offered me her arm, "Here, I will feed you."

"NO… that's okay… Eric hasn't taught me how yet and that's just weird… you're my cousin… you're like my sister…" I was going to have a hell of a time feeding.

"Sookie, I'm married to a vampire. I can show you how."

"Really Hadley, I'm fine. I can wait. Besides what would Sophie-Anne say?"

"That she was happy I helped teach a new vampire the proper and safe way to feed."

"I don't know Hadley. I just don't think I can do this…this sucks… I am starving but I just…"

"I understand. The only time you have taken blood is when you have been intimate with Eric, right?"

"Yes."

"So you associate blood with sex?"

"Yes."

"Well, you are going to have to get over that. You can't expect Eric to feed you for the rest of your existence. You are going to have to do just what you said and hire a donor, someone you can trust and believe me when I tell you, they are hard to find."

"You aren't Sophie's meal plan?" I giggled trying to lighten the mood.

"I am for now, but when she brings me over I won't be able to anymore and we will have to have donors. We have been looking ever since we moved for some people that we can trust to let into our lives. Your situation is so different and Eric is soooo old that you will probably be able to sustain him just like normal, but Sookie you will need more blood. So either get used to the crap that is True Blood, invest in Royalty Blend stock or learn to feed and get a donor." She smiled before her face got very serious,

"Sookie, I need to ask you something about Hunter. Last night, did he…did he read Eric's mind?"

"Yes." I said hoping she would not freak out like she did when she found out he was like me.

"I see. Does Eric know?" she asked with fear in her heart.

"Yes and that is all. You, me and Eric, no one else can know Hadley not even Sophie-Anne, I know you love her but…"

"No you are right. If she ever makes a power play again she might want to use him to read other vampires to make a takeover easier. I don't think she will ever do that again but just in case I want to keep my little boy away from it all. I appreciate you and Eric watching out for him." She actually sighed before continuing, "Well if you're not going to let me feed you I'm going back upstairs. I love you Sookie. And thanks for all you've done for Hunter, you are the best. I think I am going to watch him sleep." She smiled as I hugged her and sat back down still starving.

I drank the damn True Blood and then thought… _'Bill…I bet Bill will have Royalty Blend at his house.' _So I started out of the house to go over to his. I walked past his grave out of habit and ran my hand across the tombstone when I noticed fresh flowers. I thought that was odd but I kept walking. To be honest I did not even think about Sarah until I walked in the house like I owed it and she jumped about 5 feet in the air with a squeak. Not to mention the Fae Guard popped in and scared the crap out of both of us.

"Your Majesty, is all well?"

"Yes, I forgot… a lot on my mind. Why were you not outside?"

"I can guard her best by keeping out of her way. Mr. Compton advised that she is his guest not his prisoner so when she needs to leave the house or if she is in trouble I will be there for her." He advised.

"Oh, alright then," I answered as I turned to a very shocked Sarah.

"I knew I had a guard but I didn't know that they could do that." She said and I felt a stab of guilt for forgetting her.

"Oh Sarah, I am so sorry. I forgot you were here. I have a lot on my mind this morning." I babbled. How could I have forgotten…oh yeah…starving baby vampire impulses.

"That's okay Sookie. What can I do for you?"

"I need to check Bill's fridge, that's all."

"Oh, I was going to see if the guard could take me to the store in a couple of hours to pick up blood for him and to check in with Sam to see when he wants me to start work. I didn't know where he was…now I do… I guess I just have to walk outside and he will appear, huh?" I nodded and she looked back to the computer she had been typing away on when I barged in on her. Then she added,

"I have a lot to do before we go to Dallas tonight." She said with a touch of sadness in her voice.

"Sarah about that, I wanted to tell you that you don't have to go. You don't have to be there. I know that he hurt you Sarah, and I know you feel guilty and ashamed that you didn't leave before night before last, but none of what is happening to Steve is your fault. Sarah, he did this to himself with his hatemongering. Whether you had left him the first time he hit you or when you did, would not have changed what is going to happen to him. You don't have to be there. You can just walk away." Then she shocked the fangs out of me,

"If William goes then I am going too." Well it would seem the infatuation was not one-sided. Hmm…interesting.

"Alright, just know you can change your mind it you want." I paused for a moment, "Now, I really need to see if Bill has any Royalty Blend."

"Why?"

"It tastes better than that True Blood synthetic crap supposedly." I snapped…did I mention hungry baby vampire?

"But Eric won't be up until tonight…so why do you…I'm sorry, I'm being snoopy." And she walked back to the dining room table and started typing on Bill's laptop again. I would see what that was about in a minute, but right now I had to eat.

I saw the bottle and almost yelled 'YES!' but I refrained. I heated it like I had seen Pam and Eric do hundreds of times in the past and then I downed the sucker. I drank it like Kid Rock would down a bottle of whiskey at a concert. Damn it was good, not anywhere as good as Eric but good. I wiped my mouth and went back to check on Sarah.

She did not jump or try to hide what she was doing on Bill's computer so I counted that as a good sign while I watched and read over her shoulder. She was cataloging everything she knew about the Fellowship of the Sun by typing names, dates, places, training facilities and targets. She looked over her shoulder at me and asked,

"Do you think I should go back and categorize everything separately or keep it like this?"

"You know that's a 'Bill' question. Keep it like you have it and let him decide how to separate it out for Eric and me later. I've got to go home to take care of…_some things_… so I will see you tonight, okay?" I said vaguely knowing I was going back to wake up my husband and have hot monkey sex.

"Sure Sookie." She said without even looking up at me. She was a woman on a mission. I could see it all in her head. Everything she could remember was one more way she could keep Bill safe. Every FOTS operative she could out would be one more person that could not hurt Bill. Oh my, somebody had it bad for Bill Compton and that made me smile. I walked back to the house in the sunlight and was back inside by 7:37 with everyone still sound asleep in the house.

I carefully descended the steps to our resting chamber securing doors and locks as I went. I just looked at Eric for a moment or two before I leaned over him and said,

"My husband, wake up…wake up Eric." And I let my magic fill the room and then Eric. He immediately sat up and started breathing, with his heart beating and body warming. It happened much faster than the time before.

"Sookie, good morning my lover." He growled at my neck and his fangs clicked out as he kissed my neck.

"Feed Eric, and then I think I have a surprise for you." I smiled with a sudden knowing that my blood would be able to sustain him and we would walk in the sunlight together.

**EPOV**

"What surprise, Sookie?"

"I don't know how to explain it Eric, but I think that you can walk in the sunlight. I think we should try. Will you trust me enough to try?" she asked as she looked at me with unwavering love and devotion and I knew I had to try.

"Yes. I trust you." I dressed and she patiently waited. We walked up the stairs together and I held fast to her hand as she reached for the outer door. She looked at me and asked,

"Are you ready?" I drew in a deep breath and answered,

"Yes." I felt her magic circling around us and we walked out into the light. My eyes were sensitive to the light but I felt no pain, no burning. I had once been punished by my maker with him chaining my hand so the light would burn it. I remembered how bad the pain was, but I felt nothing like that now, just the warmth of the sun on my skin for the first time in a thousand years.

"How do you feel?" she asked sweetly.

"I cannot describe to you how wonderful this is Lover. You are so good to me, this is incredible."

"Do you want to try to go outside?"

"Yes, I would like that very much." She took my hand and we walked out into the full sunlight. I was overwhelmed with joy and happiness as I picked her up and spun her around in the front yard before we laughed and tumbled onto the grass.

"Eric, I'm so happy. Do you want to go for a walk?" she smiled as she took both my hands in hers.

"No, I want to make love to you in the sunlight." I picked her up and much to her surprise I flew us to the back of her property. All of my vampire powers were in play, I had a heartbeat and now I was impervious to the sun. She had given me the world back and now she would give me children; our children.

I laid her in the soft grass and sat down beside her as we kissed lazily and she whispered with a giggle,

"This can't be one of our marathon sessions… we shouldn't push our luck with the sun and we are so far away from the house… Your skin could sunburn… I just want to be careful… I love you…" she was happy cautiously so, but I could be nothing but happy.

"Whatever you say my lover," I undressed her slowly and then stood and undressed as she watched. I loved the way her eyes changed, the way they started looking heavy, hooded with lust and desire.

"Do you like what you see?"

"Yes, I feel so sinful… I've never had sex in the sunlight before. Make love to me Eric, nice and sweet. Love me…just love me." She reached up for me and I covered her body with mine and started a slow tortuous pace to make sure she felt just how much I loved her.

"Sookie, I love you." I whispered as I reached between her legs and cupped her gently for her pleasure and for mine. I loved feeling how I affected her. She moaned with excitement and pressed up toward me in an attempt to get more friction so I gladly gave her what she needed.

"Easy Lover, I will give you what you need." I lifted her and gently touched and stroked her until I felt her body shake and quake.

"Ahhhh…mmmm….Eric...please now baby, please?"

I once again covered her with my body and slowly entered her with passion, care and love. We moved in time with each other. It was perfect, perfect love, time and moment. I knew she knew I loved her, but it always made me feel important when I showed her. When I knew that she felt the love I held for her in my heart it gave me… happiness. We made love in the sunlight and I was completely content and happy.

**SPOV**

By my calculations we had been outside for close to 30 minutes and I knew it was weird but I really was worried that Eric would sun burn. We had made love, perfect love, but now it was time to go inside.

"Eric, let's go back to Gran's and get inside, alright, baby?"

"Of course, my Lover." He flew me back to Gran's and as we entered the house we came upon a very surprised Hadley, Hunter and Remy.

"Uncle Erwic…Aunt Suekee… you're up? Play with me!" The simplicity of a child; he did not ask how or why and only moved right on to what was at hand. And what was at hand seemed to be the putting together of a train set. Remy looked downright frustrated as he sat in the floor surrounded by pieces and Hadley simply seemed amused by it all. Hadley looked up and said,

"Day walking are we now Eric? You better guard that secret." She smiled and went back to reading instructions out to Remy. Remy didn't seem to care one way or the other. He had started just taking it all in stride. Eric sat down on the floor with Hunter and Remy. The men were attempting to put pieces of the track together while Hadley and I started trying to read the instructions out to them but they ignored us completely. Hadley and I looked at each other and just shrugged as I said,

"It must be a man thing… don't stop for directions… don't read directions… ignore all directions…"

"I am sitting right here lover and I can hear you."

"I know you can so why not listen when I read the directions on how to put the track together?"

"This is more fun."

"You are such a guy."

Then suddenly Hadley's eyes flew open as she gasped,

"Your heart's beating and you're breathing…what?" she looked so amazed.

"Hadley, it's my magic. I am begging you not to say anything… not to anyone…" She took in my meaning and nodded.

"Of course," she answered.

"So this is a big deal then, that you are kinda alive?" Remy asked while never looking up from his task of putting the train tracks together.

"Yes. There are other day walkers, but Sookie seems to be able to animate me. I was never able to wake during the day for long periods of time before bonding with her and I most certainly never had a heartbeat or need of breath." Eric answered and he too never looked up but kept taking pieces of track as Hunter handed them to him. Then Hunter shocked us all,

"It's how they'll have the babies."

"Hunter, baby, how do you know about the babies?" I asked.

"It was in one of my dreams, like one of the ones that I have that come true. Like when I dreamed mommy would come back and she did." he answered.

"So this has happened before?" I asked Hunter and Remy.

"Yes, he has told me about the dreams before but I always thought it was because he picked up on something he saw in someone else's thoughts and that was why he had the dream. Do you think he could be forseeing the future?"

"Hunter, what do you know about the babies?"

"They are born in May of next year. There are two of them. We all go to the beach on your birthday Aunt Suekee and play with them. Uncle Erwic plays with me in the sand." I turned at looked to Eric and he smiled.

"So we need to clear our August out Sookie, it would seem that is when we will conceive." He smiled, Hadley laughed and I cried tears of joy as I cuddled Hunter up against me.

"Ewww Aunt Suekee stop it! You are being so girly…" he wiped my kisses off his cheek and wiggled out of my arms. Eric was stroking my hand as he said,

"I will take my wife down stairs to regroup." I nodded as he took me into his arms and lifted me as if I weighed nothing.

"Well don't 'regroup' too loud unless that room is sound tight too. I'm not interested in having _that_ discussion with him today." Remy laughed as we walked away toward our chamber.

Once down stairs he looked at me lovingly as he asked,

"That made it real for you didn't it? It wasn't just you and I seeing them or Pam seeing them in our heads. It was someone else knowing that they will be here soon, right?"

"Yes, I could see what he was describing and they were in clothes that Gran made for me and Jason, clothes that are packed upstairs in the attic. We are going to have babies. I wanna get married in July and go on our honeymoon in August so we can get pregnant in Sweden." I blurted out and threw my hand over my mouth realizing I had let the cat out of the bag.

"Oh no…that was a surprise." I pouted.

"Lover, you are taking me home for our honeymoon?"

"Yes. Pam is going to help me plan everything and get this little cabin out by where your settlement used to be by the Nordic Sea. I had it all planned out to surprise you."

"I love you Sookie." He said as he shook his head in disbelief. I could feel his happiness and contentment.

"Eric, I think we should rest before we go tonight, don't you?"

"Lover, it is only 9am. I have plans for you until at least 2pm. We can sleep after that." He laughed as he waggled his eyebrows at me. "I believe you called it a marathon…" I then had an incredible five hours of love and passion, with small breaks for the poor little faery to rest and eat.

**Bill POV**

I woke to her scent, Sarah's scent. I smiled knowing she was here. I could hear her mulling around upstairs and went in search of her. She was in her room wearing sweetest little sundress I had ever seen. She looked beautiful and I wondered where she got the dress, but then I saw a Tara's Togs bag on the dresser and knew she had been shopping. She was laying out a pair of jeans and a black top when she whirled around to look at me. I could also smell a faery, must have been her daytime guard.

"William!" she smiled and ran to me and started babbling. "I had the best day. I met my guard and he was really nice to me, it's more like he is guarding me than watching me. I put everything I knew about the Fellowship on your computer and then I went to the store and bought you some more True Blood. On the way back we stopped by and I saw Sam. I told him he could put me on the schedule starting this weekend since we are going to Dallas tonight and when I mentioned that I had to find something to wear this really nice woman, named Tara told me she knew you and that you were her landlord. Anyway, she let me have this dress, those jeans and a couple of shirts on credit. I told her I could pay her back when I got paid. She gave me 30% off too!" She was holding on to me and seemed so happy.

"Sarah, slow down love…" she smiled brightly at me when I said that.

"Call me that again." She smiled

"Love, Come here love." I picked her up and sat her down in my lap on the side of her bed. She settled her head in the crook of my neck and sighed.

"William, do you want me to call you Bill?"

"You know…no one ever called me William except my Mother when she was mad at me and then later my maker, Lorena took to calling me that sometimes and I hated it. I never thought I would like for anyone to call me William again, but somehow when you say it…I love to hear it. But you can call me whatever you like." I said with laughter in my voice.

"I like William, you look like a William."

"Well, that is settled. You said something about typing up the Fellowship information?"

"Yes. I put everything I know about them on your computer. I didn't know how to categorize everything though, Sookie said to let you decide."

"Sookie was here?" I didn't smell Sookie. Come to think of it last night her scent was not the same but I was so overwhelmed with worry for Sarah last night I didn't question it at the time.

"Yes she had to take a bottle of blood to Eric, I think? I'm not sure I was really set on typing everything and she was really distracted. Anyway, when she left she said to ask you about all the computer stuff."

"I will look at it later. Right now I only want to look at you." I smiled and desperately wanted to kiss her.

"When will we leave for Dallas?" she asked with intent.

"Many hours from now; around 10, and our plane leaves at 11."

"So we have time to just be?"

"Yes. What would you like to do? I could take you to eat..." I started but she interrupted,

"I ate before you got up."

"We could watch a movie." I said as she cuddled even closer to me.

"I don't like to sit still that long."

"We could go for a walk or a drive?" I offered not wanting to push her into anything she did not want.

"I want you to kiss me," she breathed against my neck and I thought I would lose all control.

"Sarah, I want you more than I have wanted anything in a very long time. I want to be able to take my time with you and…"

"William, kiss me…just kiss me and mean it. I want to know what it feels like to be kissed by someone who means it." She whispered again against my neck, and damn it if that was not heaven I didn't know what was. For the first time in two years I did not think about another woman as I lowered my lips to Sarah's. All I could see, think and feel was Sarah, my Sarah.

"Sarah…"

"Oh William, are you hungry? Do you need to…" we could not pull away from our kiss long enough to get full sentences out. I understood she was offering me her blood and I wanted it. I wanted it badly.

"Sarah, I want to taste you, but it's too soon… we should wait…"

"NO! I want to be yours before we leave. I just want to be yours in some way…please?"

"Sarah, blood or no blood…sex or no sex…you are MINE and no one will take you from me. I will protect you. He won't ever touch you again Sarah. He can't ever hurt you again." I declared and watched as her eyes clouded over in tears.

"I've never belonged or felt safe before. William, thank you so much. I wanted to be yours and now I am." She smiled as I kissed her again and again. I was kissing her neck and she was panting and I loved the way she sounded all out of breath and needy. She needed and wanted me. Damn, that in and of itself felt incredible, just to be wanted and needed. My hands began to wander and I whispered,

"I do want to wait to make love with you, but I want to give you pleasure Sarah. Will you let me give you pleasure?"

"Yes, oh yes." I pushed down the straps to her sundress to reveal her breasts.

"Gorgeous… you are so gorgeous." I kissed her nipples and she lunged up into my mouth. My hands busied themselves underneath her dress. I found her damp cotton panties and that spurred me on as she ground her sweet ass down on my ever growing erection. I pushed aside the piece of material that was in my way and stroked her wet heat.

"Oh my God…William… that feels soooo good…ah…" she was panting and writhing against me.

"William, let me feed you…please…"

I could restrain myself no longer. I kissed her neck and very carefully bit as gently as I possibly could. She gasped but did not seem to be in any distress. She tasted incredibly sweet and spicy. I loved the taste and feel of her blood going down my throat. I did something I had only done one other time in my existence; I bit into my wrist and offered her my blood.

"Sarah, drink from me. I want to be able to feel you and it will help me keep you safe." It was not fair to ask her this now. She was in an orgasmic induced haze and I had just drunk from her, but I wanted what I wanted. She grabbed my wrist and drank from the bloody wound without question. I watched her come again, but I tapped down my own desire. I could not take her now no matter how much I wanted to, so instead I laid her down on the bed and pulled her panties off, but fixed her sundress. She looked at me with confusion.

"You will want to change these… vampires have very keen sense of smell. The other will be able to tell that you umm… had fun… if you wear these. I know that you are a lady and that would embarrass you. I suggest that you shower off and change before we go to Dallas." She blushed and giggled.

"I was going to wear the jeans and t-shirt to Dallas anyway."

"Sarah, if there is anything you want out of your house…"

"NO! I don't want anything from there. I don't even want to go there…"

"Sarah, that's where they are holding Steve; it would have been too dangerous for them to have moved him somewhere else. When they cover everything up, it will probably involve burning the house down…"

"I don't care. I don't want anything out of that house. I have some clothes at one of the condo's in town and if we could go there and get those that would be great, but nothing out of that house."

"Sarah, that dungeon, where they had Eric…did Steve…had you been held there…did he?" I knew before she answered it was yes.

"He would chain me to the wall… he'd hurt me…he let another man…he watched…" It got worse from there as she dissolved into tears and I knew I would fight Eric for the honor of killing Steve Newlin.

"Sarah, the other man, was he there during the attack?" My fangs clicked down hoping the answer was no and that I would have the honor of killing him too. That was soon answered as she timidly replied.

"No, I put his information in the report. I put in the report that he likes to rape and torture women but I didn't put in what happened to me…should I have?" she cried in confusion and pain.

"No love, no… everything is going to be fine. I will take care of you." I held her until she stopped crying.

"My Darling, why don't you go take a nice hot bath while I make a phone call or two," I asked.

"Okay, will you some sit with me?" she asked with her eyes still cloudy from tears. She was so precious and fragile. I felt her need of me and the deep desire she had just to feel safe. I made her feel that way, I made her feel safe. I gently cupped her cheek in my hand and she sighed as I said,

"Of course, you go get in the bubbles and I will be in there in a moment."

I walked downstairs and pulled my laptop from the dining room table and impatiently waited for the document. I paged down the document until I found the name I was looking for.

"Joe Duggin. Well, Joe… you are going to have a REALLY bad night." I picked up the phone to call Stan, Eric and Sookie. I would have revenge for my love, my Sarah.

**SPOV**

I was so rested when I woke up. It was around 8pm, which was late, but Eric had kept me up almost all afternoon. But now it was time to get serious, we had to go to Dallas and take care of business. I could feel and hear Eric, but he did not sound or feel happy.

"He did what?..." there was a long pause.

"I see… What was the other name?... I know that name… Oh hell… I have to call Pam… No that man… we have a history of sorts. I will explain once we come over." Once again there was a long pause,

"That won't be necessary I know his location and Bill, for whatever it is worth I am sorry. You will have your revenge." Well that was a fun one sided telephone conversation.

"Eric, was that Bill Compton? What's happened?" I asked with hesitation.

"I will explain it to you on the plane Lover. It will only distress you. Call our little angel and tell her to stay home or tell her that we want her to stay with Hunter, whatever you have to do to get her to not go with us to Dallas." He advised quickly and very un-Eric like.

"Eric?"

"Please Sookie, do this for me. Call her."

"Okay…Okay." I made the call.

"Belinda, will you do me a huge favor?"

"Sure Sookie, what's up?"

"Will you stay with Hunter and Hadley tonight? Remy is going with us to Dallas and I know that Sophie-Anne is a vampire, but I am just so worried and I would feel better if you were here to watch over them all until Eric and I get back. So could you do that for me?"

"Sure. No problem. You can count on me." she said cheerfully. "I'm about to pop Pam and myself there in a few minutes so I will see you then." You could practically here her smile over the phone. When we hung up on the phone I turned to Eric and said,

"Alright, do you want to tell me why I just lied to our little angel?"

"Do you remember Joe Duggin?"

"Who? No…OH…Belinda's ex? What about him?"

"I think I should let Bill explain it to you and Pam on the plane."

"Damn it Eric Northman you better spit it out now!"

"Joe raped Sarah on Newlin's order…while Newlin watched… there is more, but…"

"And?" I almost hated to know considering the dread I could feel flowing from Eric.

"That was Bill on the phone and I now believe that Belinda was more abused than any of us could have ever imagined. I believe she has shielded us from the worst of it." As Eric spoke I was remembering what Bill had done to my Uncle when he found out what he had done to me. Then I remembered how abused Belinda had been the night we saved her. My God, how much more had she been through than what we already knew? I then knew what was going to happen to Joe and I was actually, and much to my surprise, on board with the plan. Tonight we would have revenge for Sarah and more importantly to me, our Belinda.

**A/N: dum dum dum…. Will Bill have his revenge? Will Newlin finally pay or be able to slip away? Is Sarah really on our side? How pissed will Belinda be when she finds out she was duped on Eric's order? Who gets to kill Joe? **


	41. Chapter 41 Revenge and Honor

Chapter 41 – Revenge and Honor

**A/N:** Hello my baby minions, **sorry this was late** there was no internet connection at the beach house this weekend. YIKES… **remember to turn on your PM capabilities so I can respond to your wonderful and much loved reviews.** ***I am a bad Momma Minion! Last chappy I forgot to say… **I LOVE** my Beta, the one, the only, the wonderful S**assyvampmama**! And the fantastic **KJWRIT** they rock my socks off and I love them. I own nothing, the wonderful CH and AB do! HUGS to you all.

Please enter the **SNARKY SIDE KICK** Contest. We are now taking entries and we have a _signed copy of Dead Reckoning for the 1__st__ place winner!_ **GOOD LUCK!**

**Always remember there is HOPE… if you are being abused call 1-800-621-HOPE**

**LAST TIME:** _**(Sookie wakes hungry for food and blood now that she is a vampire/faery/human hybrid. Sookie checks in on Sarah and find her working to protect Bill by cataloging all she knows about FOTS. Sweet love scene with Eric and Sookie as she wakes him with her light he is now able to go out in the sun. They make love in the sunlight. A sweet scene with Sarah and Bill as they prepare to go to Dallas, it is then that Sarah admits to Bill that Steve had not only abused her but tortured her and watched while he had her raped by someone else. Bill calls Eric with the name of Sarah's abuser and Eric recalls the name.)**_

**SPOV LAST TIME: **

"**Eric? Alright, do you want to tell me why I just lied to our little angel?"**

"**Do you remember Joe Duggin?"**

"**Who? No…OH…Belinda's ex? What about him?"**

"**I think I should let Bill explain it to you and Pam on the plane."**

"**Damn it Eric Northman you better spit it out now!"**

"**Joe raped Sarah on Newlin's order…while he watched… there is more, but…"**

"**Does Bill know?"**

"**That was Bill on the phone and I know believe Belinda was more abused than any of us could have ever imagined. I believe she has shielded us from the worst of it." As Eric spoke I was remembering what Bill had done to my Uncle when he found out what he had done to me. Then I remembered how abused Belinda had been the night we saved her. My God how much more had she been through than what we already knew? I then knew what was going to happen to Joe and I was actually and much to my surprise, on board with the plan. Tonight we would have revenge for Sarah and more importantly to me, our Belinda.**

**EPOV**

Bill was demanding retribution for Sarah which I found slightly hypocritical considering his past transgressions with Sookie. I do see how the circumstances were different from what happened with Sookie and Bill. I understand on some level that he was under duress when he attacked Sookie in the trunk of that car, but he was not under duress when he lied to her countless times and broke her heart. Not to mention when he left her for Lorena during that short moment of insanity he suffered, but once again, I do understand the pull a maker can have on their child. The moment the thought came to me I called out to Sookie as her maker wanting to soothe her. I knew she was worried about Belinda and the night that lay ahead for us. No matter what she said Sookie valued human life and I knew that she was not looking forward to taking a life, even Steve Newlin's, I watched her shiver, feeling my call, and turn to look at me before smiling and walking to me.

"Was that you? It felt different than when you have sent me calm in the past."

"I am your maker now. I can calm you more now than in the past. Not to mention you have been allowing me more access to your heart and feelings. You can no longer block me."

"Could you control me? Make me do something if I didn't want to do it?"

"Yes. I think so."

"Try it."

"No. I will never do that." But in my head I thought _'unless it is to protect you… to save you… I would do anything to keep you safe even suffer your wrath.'_

"You're lying to me. You said you'd never lie to me." she said softly with pain in her voice.

"You are right. I would command you to do something if it would save your life or the lives of our children. To keep you alive I would do anything."

"Even if I could protect you and save you? You would send me away! You would forfeit your life? Well you know what you big dumb VIKING? You are my life. If you go…I go! I don't RUN! IF you ever do that Eric so help me God, I will beat the shit out of you!" She was in full fledged pissed off baby vampire strike mode. Her little fangs had clicked out; she was incensed and I loved it! I knew I shouldn't, but I decided to push my luck.

"Sookie, sit down." I compelled her to do it.

"I will NOT!" she stomped her little foot, "and…what the hell?" she shouted as she sat at my feet for a moment, and then she shook her head like a cat dumped in water as she popped right back up. Her anger and magic filled the air. I was amazed at how quickly she was able to shake off my command.

"I am going to KICK YOUR ASS VIKING!" she roared but I simply sent my love and affection toward her.

"It's too late for that! ASS KICKED!" she shouted as she pointed at me and began to circle. She lunged for me and I allowed her to grab me, but as I looked into her eyes with the pain I would feel at losing her, she looked back at me for a good long minute reading my emotions before she kissed me with everything she had.

"I love you Sookie, I can't… I won't make you a promise I might break. I can never do that again… break a promise to you… I won't." She kissed me again and stroked my hair.

"I understand baby, I can feel your heart now. I'm sorry I am just a little stressed right now and I'm hungry. I love you and I can never live without you. The very thought hurts me…I need to feed." She said with silver tears in her eyes. My sweet little Faery, she is definitely more faery than vampire or human now, but she has the appetite of a baby vampire. I remember the hunger and how bad it would hurt. I would never do to her what Ocella did to me. She would never hunger like that, so I whispered,

"Come here my Lover, my mate, let me feed you."

"Eric, Hadley said that you need to teach me how to feed. She offered to do it, but that was just too weird…" I realized then that she was going to have trouble separating feeding from fucking. My poor little vampire, she had worried about this very thing months ago when she first spoke of becoming a vampire. But now she was so much more and I would help her find a way to bridge this gap and make this change as painless and graceful as possible. She was and would always be a Southern Belle and Southern Belle's have to do everything gracefully or not at all. That was where our problem lay.

"Sookie, come here and sit beside me. I will teach you to feed as if I am a stranger. You will be able to feed without sex, I promise." I smiled and she sat cautiously beside me.

"Alright, take me and turn me toward you. Now, dip into my mind, calm me, soothe me." She did as I asked and it was wonderful. I tried to concentrate to tell her the rest.

"Good, my mate, good. You want to turn the head slightly and bend it to the side gently." Once again she did as I asked and looked at me with empty eyes. She was looking at me like I knew she would look at prey, not as her husband and maker.

"Now bite and drink…if I were human you would…" She drank several deep pulls of my blood before interrupting me and saying,

"The heart beat, I would listen for the heartbeat. There was a moment when I drained the witch. I knew that I should stop, but I didn't. I knew what to do then I just didn't do it. The same with Breandan, I know how to feed Eric. I just didn't realize it because every time I have in the past I have killed or had sex, with you…" she trailed off and looked odd very odd.

"Holy Shit Eric, what am I? Am I just a killer? Is that my fate? Is that what I will be for our family; the family executioner? Can I be trusted to feed on a human? All I have ever done is drain and kill…" she had tears in her eyes. We needed to prepare and leave for Dallas, but this, this needed to be taken care of beforehand.

"Sookie, you are not a monster. I am the monster. I should have prepared you better for this. You have only killed to protect your family and those you love. There is difference in killing for honor and love; I can assure you of this." I paused before asking, "Do you want me to soothe you?"

"Yes." I compelled her through our maker/child bond to be calm and not worry. She drew in a deep breath and sighed as she closed her eyes. She rested her head against me and only spoke when she felt Belinda's and Pam's presence.

"They're here."

"I know."

"I don't want to go yet. I need to ask you a question. Eric, do you think that I could survive on synthetic blood? I mean I liked it, it was good… not like you but…good."

"It is possible. We will have watch your development closely though. If you get weak, you will have to feed on humans, my sweet wife, I am sorry but that is the short of it. It will be strange for you but it will be alright. I can soothe you through the bond while you feed. It will be hard on us, but we will be alright if you have to do it my Lover." I soothed.

"I need to be with you. I mean, I want to see Pam and Belinda but I am not ready to go to Dallas yet." She whispered in sadness.

"We don't have to. We could let Pam, Remy, Sarah and Compton go in the plane and you could pop us there later." I offered.

"Perhaps that would be better…" she whispered with a pause, "I want to spend tomorrow night with Gammy. They are leaving soon and won't be back until the wedding." She said this absently, almost as if she was trying to think about anything other than her greatest fear and question; what was she?

"Sookie, I will speak with Pam and be right back."

"No, really need to come up too. I want to see them…I need to see them." Last night it had been Pam and Belinda who needed Sookie and tonight it would seem it was Sookie who needed them. Pam looked at Sookie with a raised eyebrow,

"Sister, what is wrong? Do you need to feed? I will take you, come…" I adore my child. To Pam there is nothing a good feed can't cure. It is her version of how a human eats ice cream when they are sad; well Pam searches for a good feed, some nice sex and a good long bath.

"No Pam, it's not that. I… don't know what I am." she said sadly.

"Dear Abby would say that your need to embrace who you are and I agree. You need to realize that all the power and all the other 'stuff' is just what you can do, not who you are. You are you. You are Sookie. You are the bravest, sweetest and best friend in the entire world. You are the reason people keep fighting even when they are frightened. You are the reason the Fae Realm is all but united. You are the reason our region is now secure and safe. You are my maker's mate and woman. You are my sister, and you are the reason we are a family. That is who you are Sookie." Brilliant, she was brilliant and I would never regret turning her. Then Belinda chimed in as well,

"You are our Sookie. You may be almost my age, but you are also the first _'mom'_ I've ever had. You made me brownies when I was scared, and you held me and rocked me when I thought I just wanted to die. You gave me back my family. Sookie, you are good, kind and true. Nothing you have to do to protect us changes that you are a good person. It doesn't matter if you are a vampire, faery or human because you are just a plain ole good person. Don't let that jackass Newlin make you doubt that you're a good Christian. You are faithful to your husband, you're loving with your family and you take care of your friends; that's what being a good person is all about." Our little angel, wise beyond her years, made me smile with her little speech.

"I love you two so much, but I kill now without regard for life; what does that mean?"

"Do you mean when you killed Breandan?" Pam asked and I immediately felt the anger rise in Sookie through our bond as she replied,

"No, that bitch got what was coming to him. I meant earlier tonight. Someone has crossed me and I immediately began to run scenarios on how I was to kill him. Going to the authorities didn't even cross my mind. I wanted revenge, but does revenge bring honor?" she asked and I chose this moment to intervene.

"You have to ask yourself this question, 'was the victim less than, a woman, a child or someone weaker than the attacker; were they someone who could have protected themselves? Was it an unprovoked attack? Will it protect your family in the future? Can it save your family now?' If the answers to any of these questions are yes, then there is honor in avenging their name or even a preemptive strike to prevent harm from ever occurring." I said to her as her first lesson as a vampire.

"Did Ocella teach you that?" she asked with confusion; knowing what a monster he was. I smiled and answered,

"No. My father did, my human father was a wise man and great leader." I said with pride as I always did when speaking of him.

"I'm sure he was a great man. He made you." Her embrace was expected but the kiss on my chest and burst of power she sent through me was not.

I loved when she sent her magic and love through the bond. She had not done it in a while and for a moment I would have sworn I felt my heart beat. We had come to the tentative conclusion that the reason her magic animated me during the day was due to the fact she had a degree of necromancy power and it gave her power over me while I was dead. So how did I feel that just now? Could her power be growing? I just held her as I pondered all these things in my soul.

"Eric? Are you alright?" she cooed inquisitively.

"I am better than alright." I answered as I looked at my Sookie. "I will be a father by next summer and you have given me back the sun." Pam and Belinda looked at us very confused and it was Sookie who answered.

"We have a timeline on the babies. Hunter, he has dreams…well he said they will be born next May. But guys listen while it's just us, we have to keep Hunter's abilities under wraps okay?" They nodded and as Pam opened her mouth to ask about the 'sun' comment Sookie continued, "You know I can wake Eric with my light and it animates him, right?" They nodded.

"Well today I just knew…umm… we went outside in the sun and he was fine."

"Master, were you vulnerable or…" I cut Pam off.

"No Pam, I am still vampire. I am the exact same, except I am…alive and the sun does not harm me. We have not tried any of this without Sookie being right next to me, but we will experiment with all that when we have more time." Pam nodded and then asked,

"Of course, next May… did he have an exact date?" Pam asked Sookie as she pulled her smart phone from her pocket.

"_No?_ Why?" Sookie asked with confusion as I held the bridge of my nose in my hand and shook my head in disbelief knowing what was coming.

"I have to plan the shower Sookie and we don't want to have it when you are ready to pop. So we need to know are the born in early May…late May?" and then she started muttering to herself as she walked away from us, "I have no idea why I try to plan nice events for this family. I swear it's like pulling teeth and God forbid I ask someone to dress up or…" She walked talking to herself and typing away on the phone.

I still needed to talk to her about Joe and what awaited us in Dallas, but I would let her have her moment. I had planned to tell her on the plane but now that Sookie and I might pop out to Dallas I needed to speak with her before she left with Compton and the Newlin woman. I would cross that bridge when I had to but for now I was under siege from a very small, wet human.

"Uncle Erwic…momma made me take a bath. She said I was stinky. I told her that boys are supposed smell but she wouldn't listen." Hadley and Remy were coming down the stairs behind Hunter with towels.

"Sorry Eric, he heard your voice and all bets were off. He jumped out of the tub and I had forgotten just how fast he is." Hadley smiled.

"Well, that is going to change right? We are going to go visit Momma and Aunt Sophie as much as possible from now on right buddy?" Remy asked Hunter and Hadley's face lit up at the comment. Hunter shook his head in agreement as he beamed back at me. I lifted him into the air and said,

"You, sir, should go put some clothes on. There are women in the house."

"Oh, it's okay if they see me, it's just Aunt Pam and Belinda." I laughed at his assessment as I asked,

"What about Aunt Sookie? She is here too." I said looking over to her.

"Yeah, but she is like a mom, so that's fine too." I laughed again as he wiggled out of my arms and streaked across the house. Remy looked at me and laughed,

"Naked time."

"Ah yes, naked time." Sookie looked confused so I said,

"It is a very important boy ritual. If you have not had a male child you might not know that they are prone to want to go naked from time to time. It is a male thing." To which Sookie replied,

"Oh, I thought it was just that you and Jason are pervs." She laughed all the way to the kitchen as Hunter continued to dodge adults and streak through the house. It was Sophie-Anne who caught him and her reaction was hilarious.

"Why are you unclothed?"

"Naked-time!"

"I am unfamiliar with this phrase, you will explain."

"I like to run naked!"

"So do I, but I was under the impression that was frowned upon."

"You are a grown up; I'm wittle, so I can do it and you can't."

"Well that is hardly fair. Go put your jeans on and I will take you for ice cream."

"Ice cream…Ice cream…" and the chant went on as he went up the stairs. It was Remy who said,

"You can't always bribe him to do what he needs to do." Sophie-Anne said nothing, but I saw a slight smile from both of them and then Hadley took each of them by the hand as they walked away together. I called out to Savoy.

"We will leave in a couple of hours. Do you still want to go?"

"Yeah, I'm going with you." We nodded and that was that.

**SPOV**

Belinda walked into the kitchen and I felt so guilty for what we were doing. I felt that we should tell her but on the other hand it would be better if she did know, right? So I did what I do best, I put on my crazy Sookie smile and started babbling.

"Belinda, I've been meaning to ask, how are Bobby and Evelyn doing with the whole 'Jonathan' thing?"

"Destroyed, angry, hurting…it's awful Sookie. I can't even imagine what it would be like to have to love of your life lie to you like that and then outright attack you. The things he said to her while he beat her… oh my God Sookie it was so bad." Her face was pained as she tried to explain.

"I am so sorry Belinda. If there is anything you think we can do to help them, you know all you have to do is ask and I will gladly do it." She hugged me and said,

"I know you will Sookie. I love you. I guess I better go find out where we are going for ice cream."

"You know, Merlotte's actually has a pretty good ice cream sundae and then there is the Tasty Freeze over on Maple. Hadley will know all the good spots, nothing really changes in this little one horse town. I guess I better get ready to go. I love you too." I started getting ready to leave and decided that I needed to be on the plane with Pam when she found out who our guests of honor would be for the night in Dallas.

**PPOV**

I kissed Belinda lips before she pulled back and looked at me asking,

"Do you want me to pop you home tonight or will you fly home?" I could hear Eric buzzing in my head and I answered her as he compelled me to do,

"I will fly home. It will be early enough so I will come here and we will pop home by dawn." I smiled and she looked at me with questioning eyes as if to say she knew something was wrong but to her credit she smiled her adorable smile and walked to hug Eric and Sookie.

"Be careful and take care of her for me. I will see you tonight when you get back, right?"

"Of course, we will be back soon, this won't take long. We love you." Eric said to her and it made me happy and sad all at the same time. His emotions were washing over me and I could not make heads or tails of them.

I knew something was wrong. My master and mistress were being far too silent and they were blocking me from their thoughts. Sookie kept looking at me with sadness in her eyes, but then those eyes would drift to Belinda and the sadness would change deepening into a murderous rage. While Sookie was waving to Belinda, Hunter, Hadley and Sophie-Anne as they drove off in search of ice-cream. I turned to Eric asking,

"What the fuck is going on? Why did Belinda have to leave? Why is she not going to Dallas?"

"We will explain on the plane." He nodded at me as he spoke and under normal circumstances I would have complied, but under the intense emotions I was feeling I blurted,

"NO! Tell me know! Is my Bonded in danger?" I yelled as I moved Savoy out of my way to reach for Eric's arm.

"AS YOUR MAKER, I COMMAND YOU…" his voice was a growl and I expected to be punished due to how he sounded but even as he spoke he pulled me into his arms and kissed my hair.

"You will let this be until we can explain it to you, and I can promise you that she is safe or we would not be leaving." He kissed my cheek and Sookie hugged me as she said,

"Everything will be okay Pam, tonight we fix it all. I love you." _Well shit, what the hell am I supposed to do with that?_ Just then Compton and that human woman Newlin drove up in his piece of shit Lincoln. I smiled as I remembered 'tamponing' it and filling it with fish, God that was a good night.

**Sarah POV**

I was soaking in the bubbles when he came back into see me. I knew that my revelations of what had happened to me had shaken him and I worried that perhaps he had changed his mind thinking I was far too broken for him to want me anymore. I felt the tears pouring down my face as he sat down on the floor beside the tub, but then he took the wash rag from my hand and wiped my face off so gently. It reminded me of the way I had seen a mother lovingly wipe her sick baby's face at a hospital I had been at after a particularly bad beating.

Steve had received quite a bite of publicity for the church on that one. Of course HE was not named as my attacker, a random vampire was accused. He was ill with me because I would not pick out a vampire out of the police line-up as my attacker which of course caused another attack when we got home before he raped me over and over again. I actually had not been out in public for about 3 months now and today was the first day I had been able to go outside anywhere. Before I had taken William's blood I still looked battered and bruised to be honest but his blood had now healed my physical wounds. My emotional wounds were another story entirely. I shuddered with all the horrible memories I had and realized Bill was now in the tub with me.

He had climbed in with his jeans on. He held me tightly in his arms, rocking me and cooing to me. I had never felt more loved in my entire life than I did in this moment. He began washing me and there was nothing sexual about it. He was being so sweet and kind. No one in my entire life since my mom back before she died had bathed me or taken care of me like he was doing at that moment.

"William, please don't go, don't leave me…"

"I am here. I will never leave you."

I turned so that I could lay my head on his chest, wrapping my arms around his neck, and smiled up at him as he kissed my lips. There was no comparison to the way he kissed me and any other kiss I had ever been given. Steve was always so rough, it was always as if he was trying to prove a point, but my William was so gentle and his lips softly whispered against my mouth and neck.

"Mine, you are mine." He pulled me to him possessively and it was wonderful as he implored, "Say it Sarah, tell me… tell me."

"I am yours, William, only yours." I was able to pant out between kisses. His hands where strong but gentle. He never pressured me or asked for anything from me other than that statement. That was what he wanted me to say, that I was his and since it was what I wanted too I whispered it again,

"I am yours. Oh, William, I am so yours."

**Bill POV**

After we got out of the tub and I had helped Sarah get dressed, we sat and talked on the couch in the den for an hour. She cuddled against me and told me all about the house where we were going to. It would seem that she had found underground tunnels in the compound. Steve did not know she knew of them, but she wanted me to know where they were. She was unsure if he had anyone held down there but feared that he could have some poor vampire chained underneath the dungeon.

The tales she told me were horrible; with me learning that after he had beaten and raped her he made her clean up the mess. She had to clean up her own bloody mess, her own vomit, and undoubtedly her own tears. The safer she felt with me the more she would open up to me and each story seemed to get worse. My poor angel, I would spend the rest of my existence protecting her, coddling her and giving her a life of love and safety.

"Sarah, I will always keep you safe. No matter what you decide where you want to go or what you want to do I will always protect you. No one will ever again do to you what was done in the past. If you give me a chance, I will love you Sarah, I will show you real love." I held her to me as she whispered,

"I know William, I feel it too."

"When we come home Sarah, I want to make love to you. I will take my time and show you exactly what it feels like to be loved." She looked at me and sighed,

"William, I want that too. I want to be all yours in every way." She smiled and settled against me again. I rocked her and thanked God for my second chance.

We made our way to Sookie's house to pick up the rest of our group. Sarah was quiet and I could feel through the blood we had shared she was very frightened. She looked at me with those gorgeous sweet baby blue eyes and I whispered,

"Love, you do not have to go."

"Yes, I do. I have to do this. I owe so many people for this second chance and I have to be there…I can't explain it I just have to be there." She paused for a moment. "William, when we get back home will you help me change my name." The random question took me by surprise as I asked,

"What do you mean?" but then I realized, "Oh from Newlin, would you like to change it back to your maiden name?" _'Or perhaps Compton'_ actually ran through my mind. Damn it I had it bad.

"Yes."

"We can do that, but Sarah you will have to wait for a little while first. It could draw suspicion on you once he is… found dead. The authorities will no doubt launch an investigation and we will need to have an air tight alibi for you. I actually already have several contingencies in place and people working to do just that for us." I had plans in play, Eric and I had already spoken of this on the phone.

I had knowledge of a large event happening at the Hotel Camilla and a friend from Stan's nest was making sure that Sarah and I were already at the party. I had taken video footage of myself and Sarah and we had spliced it to make sure we were caught checking in the hotel an hour after sundown. If we handled Steve's death right we could work it to our advantage. Not to mention that if Sarah had left Newlin for a vampire… _'No I would not use her that way'_ I thought to myself.

It would be a great coup for the AVL if she were to make the rounds but I would not do that to her. It would be one thing if she wanted to be in the public eye but I had a feeling she would want a nice quiet life once this was behind us.

I had a back story in place showing Sarah had left Newlin weeks ago. She had not made a public appearance with him in over 3 months so that made it easier. With Sookie, Tara and Sam's help we would be able to prove that she was with us and had nothing to do with his death. She would be kept safe from this no matter what else happened; this would not touch her… nothing that could pain her would ever again if I had my way.

"William? Bill? Where are you? You just faded away there?" she asked as we pulled into Sookie's drive way. I realized then that she had been asking questions and I had been lost in thought. I reached over and brought her hand to my lips and explained,

"Sorry love, I seem to be distracted. Everything will be alright." I smiled as Eric, Sookie, Pam and Remy came down the stairs of Sookie's grandmother's porch. Adele Stackhouse, now that was a lady, I thought absently as I heard Eric telling Sookie,

"I have no intention of riding in that thing. That is a sad excuse for a car."

"Eric, please… don't we have enough to deal with tonight without you getting into a pissing contest over cars with Bill?"

"Lover, there is always time to get into a pissing contest with Compton. It matters not, I called for a vehicle for all of us to ride into the airport together when you decided we would be flying instead of popping." He advised her and she smiled that gentle smile of hers as Pam just glared at me and then suddenly smiled. It was then I knew she was the culprit who vandalized my car last year.

**Steve POV**

'_How the hell did this happen?' _I thought to myself as the whore of Satan hit me again.

"Bella that is enough." he bellowed at her, the one they call Stan. He seems to be in charge but she still hit me again and this time he yelled, "Isabella, I said THAT IS ENOUGH." Now that got her attention and she finally stopped. I wanted water and something to eat but I knew they would bring me nothing. I wondered why they did not just kill me and that is when I heard Stan say,

"Northman will be angry if he is unable to play with his prize tonight. It would seem you, Mr. Newlin have been a very bad boy. Is it true you used to torture your wife in this very room?" he asked as he hit me in the stomach. Well it would seem Sarah had be a chatty Cathy…stupid worthless whore.

"Stupid bitch, she wouldn't learn…" another slap across my face as he spat,

"So you _taught_ her? You let other men _teach_ her? You disgust me. You are not a man… and you call us monsters." I tried not to cry out as I knew something he did not know. This was my torture chamber and I knew every inch of it. Just a few more moments alone and I would be able to free my hands from these chains and then I would hit the secret passage while blowing this place to hell with all of them in it. There was enough C-4 throughout this compound to leave a small hole in the world. He interrupted me from my musings,

"Mr. and Mrs. Northman are bringing your wife, soon to be widow, here tonight. She is a better woman than most. She wanted to pray for your soul once the Northman finally drains you tonight. He will have fun with you first though. Did you know that he is over 1000 years old? Yes, he is and he has had many years to practice torturing men. He knows just the right amount of pain, just how deep to cut all the while keeping you alive and conscious. It really is a lost art." He smiled malevolently at me before continuing,

"It would seem your wife has moved on rather quickly too, and to a vampire at that! Oh, just think of all the good PR that will bring us no doubt." He smiled evilly as the phone rang again and he answered.

"Yes, Constance, you have located him then?" and there was a pause, "Good, the Fae guard will be there to bring him here. Yes now, by whatever means necessary, Northman and Compton have plans for him."

"So are we having company?" I spit out blood with every word.

"Yes, your good friend and helpful teacher, Joe Duggin, is going to be joining our little party." I almost smiled when he said that. When I made my escape, I could kill all of them, Joe, Sarah and every one of the vampires. I would be gone and in the tunnels before they even knew I had disappeared. I would have my revenge on Sarah for turning against me, I wouldn't have to pay Joe anymore money to keep quiet about how I like my sex, and all these damned demon vamps who all seem to think they are better than me would be dead and gone. My night was finally looking up.

**A/N: uh-oh? Chitty Chitty bang bang! Will Eric realize what Steve is doing? Will Sarah be hurt again? Will Sookie save the day? Who will be our hero? Dum dum dum…. Same bat time…same bat channel baby minions! I love you! Momma Minion!**


	42. Chapter 42 Back to Hell

Chapter 42 – Back to Hell

A/N: Hey baby minions… **please review for momma if you don't mind.** I need the feedback on this chapter and the next especially. I love my content editor **kjwrit **and the wonderful **Sassyvampmama** who is not just my BETA but my bestie and apparently 'took me to raise'… poor girl! HUGS

**LAST TIME:** _**(Sookie and Eric have a heart to heart about her becoming more and more vampiric and her need to learn to feed and hunt. Sookie is afraid she is turning into a monster with no regard for human life until Eric, Pam and Belinda re assure her. There is a sweet scene with Hunter and the family. Sarah and Bill become even closer as they prepare for Dallas; Bill realizes he is falling for her. All the while the evil Steve Newlin plans his escape and revenge on Joe, Sarah and all the vampires.)**_

**Newlin POV**

"**Mr. and Mrs. Northman are bringing your wife, soon to be widow, here tonight. She is a better woman than most. She wanted to pray for your soul once the Northman finally drains you tonight. He will have fun with you first though. Did you know that he is over 1000 years old? Yes, he is and he has had many years to practice torturing men. He knows just the right amount of pain, just how deep to cut all the while keeping you alive and conscience. It really is a lost art." He smiled evilly at me before continuing,**

"**It would seem your wife has moved on rather quickly, to a vampire, oh the good PR that will bring us no doubt." He smiled evilly as the phone rang again and he answered.**

"**Yes, Constance, you have located him then?" and there was a pause, "Good, the Fae guard will be there to bring him here. Yes now, by whatever means necessary, Northman and Compton have plans for him."**

"**So are we having company?" I spit out blood with every word.**

"**Yes, your good friend and helpful teacher, Joe Duggin is going to be joining us for our little party." I almost smiled when he said that. When I made my escape, I could kill all of them, Joe, Sarah and every one of the vampires. I would be gone and in the tunnels before they even knew I was gone. I would have my revenge on Sarah for turning against me, I wouldn't have to pay Joe anymore money to keep quiet about how I like my sex and these damned demon vamps who all seem to think they are better than me would be dead and gone. My night was finally looking up.**

**SPOV**

The car ride was silent but everyone's brain activity was high. I had to keep pushing out Sarah's and Remy's thoughts. Remy was full on violent. He wanted revenge for all they had done to his son. It would seem Hunter was still having nightmares and I made a mental note to see to that when I returned home tonight. I would heal his little heart and mind so that he could find peace again. Sarah was clutching Bill's hand as if her life depended on him. He was her anchor. She was wondering how she had fallen in love with him so quickly and if it was because he was so good to her. She worried that she loved him because no one had ever been nice to her but him and as she laid her head on his shoulder I saw in her heart the love she had for him. She was worried about loving him so soon. She was worried that I would never accept her or that I would tell Bill to leave her. She was terrified of being without him and while I wasn't sure about a lot of things, the one thing I was sure of about Sarah was that she loved Bill Compton and would willingly die to protect him. That in and of itself made me feel glad for her, so much so that I reached across to her hands and clasped hers and Bills together and said,

"No that is not why you love him. You love him because he is a good man and because you deserve a good man. It's alright to love someone because they give you a sense of belonging and make you feel safe. One of the first emotions I felt with Eric was safety and it's never too soon to love Sarah. It's also never too late to forgive; I forgive you Sarah. My Gran used to say that _'you shouldn't judge someone by what they are but by what they do, their actions.'_ Your actions are telling me we are good, okay?"

"Thank you Sookie, you'll never know what that means to me." she smiled as she settled back against Bill.

Pam was cuddled into Eric's side as was I, but I noticed Remy and Bill both seemed to notice all of Pam's flare was gone. She did not know what was happening yet but she knew it was bad and she knew it concerned Belinda. I could feel Pam's love for Belinda; it was powerful and almost palpable. I reached back across Eric and held her hand in his as I said,

"Bill, when we get to the plane I need a moment of your time."

"Of course Sookie." He looked at me, but knew me well enough to ask no questions. We pulled up to the private hanger were the "state" jet sat; technically it was our jet. Eric was King and it was the King of Louisiana's plane, but I felt wrong calling it mine or even our plane. I guess I was a reluctant vampire Queen. I just couldn't get used to the amount of money Eric, and by extension, we had at our disposal. I was brought back to reality by watching Eric lead Pam to the plane and Remy followed, but as I motioned for Sarah to go with them she looked to Bill and he nodded at her. It was the signal that she needed and she kissed his cheek before boarding the plane without him.

"Bill, I think you know how much Belinda means to us, to our nest, mine, Eric's and Pam's. She especially means the world to Pam. She is Pam's bonded and they are going to be pledged, soon." He nodded at this information and I continued, "What you don't know about Belinda is that she… she was abused… by Joe Duggin. He was her boyfriend...or pimp... we don't really know since she shields us from a lot of what happened to her. We know that the night we saved her he had beaten her and burned her stomach with a curling iron… it was bad Bill…really really bad."

"I had no idea. She always seems so happy so well adjusted. I assumed she was just a normal sweet girl."

"She is a normal sweet girl." I said with some irritation at his reaction. "She was just abused for most of her life. Her grandfather was a bastard who liked to beat her. She was abused in foster care by her foster father and then by Joe. The night Joe found her she had run away from her foster care family; he took her in, fed her and let her rest. She said that at first he was nice to her and since she had never really had that she mistook it for love. Pretty soon, he turned her out." Bill looked at me strangely at first I knew he was trying to comprehend the 'turned out' but then I saw the recognition in his eyes to my comments.

"I meant no disrespect Sookie. He prostituted her out then?" I nodded in reply.

"He abused her as well?"

"Yes worse than any of us can imagine."

"It is amazing that she is whole and able to trust. Before when I said she was normal, I was only trying to say that I knew long before you told me that you had been abused at some point in your life just by your reactions to the world. I never saw that with Belinda, but perhaps I was just not around her that much. I do see how fiercely loyal she is to you, Eric and Pam." He smiled that smile of his that always wins me over and asked,

"Then you understand that Pam will be taking care of Duggin?"

"Yes. I only ask for a swipe or two." He patted me on the shoulder.

"Now for the hard part, I need you and Sarah to tell Pam. She has no idea and she had the chance to kill this guy back in January but Belinda did not want him dead, she just wanted to be rid of him. Plus I think he had her so brainwashed that she believed she wasn't worth… Well when she came to us she had little self worth."

"January?" he questioned.

"Well actually it was the end of January beginning of February? Why? Is that important?"

"He was already working with FOTS then. He tortured and raped Sarah in February…"

"Oh my God, Sweet Shepherd of Judea, Pam is going to freak. She thought she had glamoured him into going back home and forgetting his vendetta against vampires."

"He went back to Dallas and Newlin retrained him. He trained him on my Sarah…" Bill's voice frightened me, really truly frightened me to the point that Eric bolted from the plane and put himself between me and Bill.

"What is the meaning of this?" Eric bellowed. I soothed him by stroking his arm and he could tell by looking at Bill that he was lost in thought. I tried to pull him from his dark place by saying,

"Bill, I'll tell him. You just go sit on the plane with Sarah. We will explain it to Pam together in a minute." I recanted the tale to Eric and he simply nodded.

"I should have taken care of Duggin; I should have killed him months ago. He hurt our angel Sookie, he hurt our little angel worse that any of us ever thought." He had red tears floating in his eyes.

"I know, but tonight we right all the wrongs. We kill the ones who aim to kill and harm ours." I was climbing down into that deep dark tunnel to prepare myself to kill. Now the only question was,

"Who tells Pam?"

**EPOV**

Pam was in my arms looking at me with her big bright blue eyes full of questions, fear and trepidation. I petted her hand as held her in my lap on the plane and cooed to her as I had done so long ago when she was but a baby vampire.

"Is it that bad? Is it bad Master?" she sounded much like she did back then. Her emotional state brought her long forgotten accent out and she'd reverted to calling me master, much like she did in those early years.

"It is not bad, per se, as much as it is unexpected. Just a few more moments and we will explain everything to you alright?" Before she could respond I felt a jolt of fear from Sookie and I bolted from the plane to my wife's side.

"What is the meaning of this?" I growled out as I prepared to attack but Sookie soothed me by stroking my arm. She looked sadly at Bill as she whispered to him,

"Bill, I'll tell him. You just go sit on the plane with Sarah. We will explain it to Pam together in a minute." She then told me a story that made my dead heart ache. I listened as she explained to me that Joe Duggin had probably tortured Belinda beyond our wildest imagination.

She had told us he only hurt her on occasion; not that that was an excuse. He deserved to pay, but she had just wanted to be free and she had not wanted a human trail so Pam had beat him and glamoured him. It was our version of justice, or so we thought, but had we known what he truly had done to her we would have killed him that night.

"I should have taken care of Duggin; I should have killed him months ago. He hurt our angel Sookie, he hurt our little angel worse that any of us ever thought." I felt tears in my eyes as I shook my head to clear them from my vision.

"I know, but tonight we right all the wrongs. We kill the ones who aim to kill and harm ours." I could sense she was climbing down into that deep dark tunnel she goes into to preparing herself to kill. Then she asked me,

"Who tells Pam?" she paused for a moment before continuing, "I was going to have Bill and Sarah explain but with these new revelations I just don't know. What do you think?" she said with sadness in her voice.

"Together, we will take her in the back of the plane and we will tell her together."

"Do you think she will fall apart?"

"No. I know my child. She will take her retribution and then she will fall apart once we are home."

"I think while I tell her you need to just sit there and send her calm and love. I think that will help her more than anything. She'll need your strength and love to get through this." She advised me and I must say I agreed.

"I believe you are correct. Come let us do this." We ascended the stairs together and boarded the plane. Pam was waiting where I left her and when the plane was finally in the air I took her by the hand and explained to her that we would speak to her in private. We went further back into the plane where there was a bedroom and I sat her on the bed before we began telling her what she needed to know.

As Sookie began speaking I sent love and calm to my child. She sat still and looked emotionless but one single red tear ran down her cheek once Sookie was done, before she stood without speaking and walked out of the room. We followed behind her and as she reached Savoy, Compton and Sarah she said,

"Bill, the man is mine. It is my right as her blood bonded. I will avenge in your woman's name as well." Before Bill could speak Sarah did.

"William, what is she talking about?"

"We have taken Joe Duggin into custody. He not only hurt you but Pam's bonded, her girlfriend as you would say, as well." Compton realized Sarah would not understand the term bonded.

"He…will…be…there at the compound?" she drew in deep breath and seemed to panic.

"No one will harm you. You are the guest of the King of Texas and the King of Louisiana. You are safe Sarah Newlin, you belong to us now and you are safe." I soothed and Sookie smiled at me as Sarah practically climbed under Bill. Pam snuggled into my side as did Sookie and I sent calm to my little vampires until I heard them sigh. No one said anything for a while until Remy broke the ice with,

"But I still get to kick Newlin's ass right?" His question caused all of us to smile and I actually laughed as I simply answered,

"Yes."

Before we landed in Dallas I made Sookie drink as much Royalty Blend as she could hold and I made her take blood from me as well. The last thing we needed was for Sookie to go on a blood lust rampage once inside the compound. With her ever growing powers it would be hard to contain her. She finished feeding from me as we landed without incident and prepared to pop to the compound. The plane was listed as empty and being flown in with no passengers. The plan was that Sookie was going to pop us to the compound 2 at a time, Bill and Sarah first so Bill could get her settled, then Pam and Remy, finally she would pop back for me. We were covering all our bases tonight for on this night we would put a huge hole in the FOTS movement and with any luck we could stop it outright.

Sarah, thanks to Compton had an air tight alibi for not only tonight, but for the entire past month. Thanks to my strong glamour Sookie, Pam and I were currently at a party at Fangtasia. Sophie-Anne took care of Remy's alibi as she was to glamour a couple of patron's at Merlotte's into believing he had been with them when they took Hunter for ice cream. Isabella and Stan would leave as soon as we popped in so he too could establish an air tight alibi for when we burned that mother fucker down. I smiled and as Sookie felt my excitement she chided me slightly,

"Can you please stop that? I don't want to feel happy about any of this. I just want it over, already."

"I am sorry Lover, but there is nothing better than a fight."

"We are not going to fight we are just going to kill and be done."

"Where would the sport in that be? Oh my sweet little vampire, I teach you to hunt tonight."

**SPOV**

Eric was excited about getting to kill and it was flooding the bond. It was just a little bit annoying and I was wishing I could be excited and not scared. I was scared for Sarah, for Pam and of the unknown on how the night would turn out. So I snarked out,

"Can you please stop that? I don't want to feel happy about any of this. I just want it over, already."

"I am sorry Lover, but there is nothing better than a fight." He said as he smiled that wonderful smile at me, but what he said made no sense to me.

"We are not going to fight we are just going to kill and be done." I almost stomped my foot.

"Where would the sport in that be? Oh my sweet little vampire, I teach you to hunt tonight." He turned to Pam and they shared a fangy, dangerous smile that made me feel… well… excited, as in sexually. What the hell? Oh crap, this is what blood lust feels like? Well shit, I think I like it.

"What is it my little vampire?" he continued to smile at me.

"I just figured out what you've been feeling all these years, that night at Dallas, the orgy and the Witch-Were war… the blood lust… it feels incredible. I think I like it." I now understood why Eric had made me feed so much before; if I had not I would be starving right now.

"Oh sister, you will grow to love it." Pam smiled and we prepared to pop into the compound.

"I have felt excited during a fight before but never like this. My Fae side and the need to have revenge well it feels different than this. I can't explain it." I tried to explain but could not.

"It really is alright Sookie you don't have to explain it to us." Pam said as she held onto her maker's hand. I knew that she was shaken due to her need to cling to him and me.

"Okay, I am going to pop Bill and Sarah now, okay?" Everyone nodded and we began the process of popping into the Newlin's compound. Sarah looked at Bill with a very determined little smile and said,

"The sooner we do this, the sooner we can dance right?"

"That's right love, that's right." He kissed her forehead and I actually sighed out **"Awwww"** to which Pam rolled her eyes and said,

"Will you just pop already? After seeing that I need to kill something! Those two are worse than you two…ugh…" So away we went, **back to hell**.

I popped Sarah to a room I saw in her mind; she felt safe there. Bill looked at her and told her he would come back for her when 'it was over.' She nodded with an unspoken understanding of what that meant.

I popped Pam and Remy next, leaving them in the foyer and I said,

"Pam, wait for Eric and I to come back. I want a swipe at the bastard too." She reluctantly agreed.

Before I popped Eric in I gave him a good long kiss. We held on to each other for a moment and he whispered,

"Remember these things my Dearest One, it is for the greater good, it protects those that are weak and it will save your family now and in the future." I love how he can center me and remind me that what must be done, must be done. He then continued,

"It is a great honor to be a ruler. With great power comes great responsibility." He said this with a smile as I actually giggled and said,

"Did you just quote Spiderman to me?"

"No Lover, that technically was Uncle Ben." He smirked and winked at me as I popped us to the foyer where Pam, Remy and Bill were all now waiting. Eric immediately took over and spelled out how things were going to be run tonight.

"Remy, you will get to soften up Mr. Newlin for us all first. Then Sookie and I will take over as I am going to teach her to hunt. We will let him loose in the basement and see just how well our little vampire here can hunt." His fangs clicked into place and I smiled too.

"Eric, is that wise to let him loose? Sarah is upstairs and…" Bill was worried.

"It will be fine. I will guard the doors as will you and Pam. Newlin will be Sookie's prize. He has hurt her over and over. She deserves this kill and she will have it." I wasn't sure I liked him talking about me like I wasn't there and Sookie from a year ago would have thrown a fit, but the woman I am now understood he was giving me an honor, a gross scary honor, but a honor none the less.

"Then Bill, you shall have your go with Duggin and then he will be at Pam's mercy and whatever she sees fit to do to him." Pam nodded and smiled that dangerous deathly smile that I have come to love and no longer fear.

"We will then need to proceed to the locations of our alibis. Remy, you will go back to Merlotte's for a toy that Hunter will have "left' there earlier in the evening. Sophie-Anne has already covered that you were there earlier, but we want it to be airtight and this will allow us that."

"Bill, you and Sarah will proceed to the Hotel Camilla and make a scene on the dance floor so no one will forget you were there, alright." Eric actually smiled at Bill and if Bill could blush I am sure he would as he took Eric's meaning.

"Sookie, Pam and I will return to Fangtasia for the party once we retrieve Belinda from Bon Temp… So does anyone have any questions?" It was pretty cut and dry, so since there seemed to be no questions only a comment that Remy made.

"Man, I am glad you guys are on my side. I never want to make you mad at me."

"No… you don't Savoy. So treat my little Sophie and her Hadley well as you raise Hunter and you will never have to be on my bad side." Eric growled a predator's growl as he turned to descend the stairs to the basement. Eric disappeared for a moment into what seemed to be a side area or tunnel. He had a strange smile on his face that I could not quite place but it was one of extreme satisfaction; like he knew something no one else did, a wonderful secret that was his and his alone.

Back in the basement I had a moment of dread as I remembered Eric tied to the table that Duggin was now affixed to. Eric felt my emotions and sent calm to me. I loved our new connection and how it made me even closer to him. I felt a moment's shame at ever worrying about the type of power it would give him over me to be my maker. Once again he sent calm and gave me a knowing look of love and adoration. Only Eric could make me feel so loved and appreciated at a time like this.

Duggin looked pretty worn over and Newlin did as well. Isabella walked to Pam and whispered,

"I have seen what he's afraid of and it can be used against him. He fears what he has done will be done to his daughter… He has a child north of here… he lives here and in Alabama so if we slipped over and…

"NO!" I roared. "Isabella no.."

"We would not do THAT Sookie I am not a monster, but if he sees we have her and we lead him to believe…"

"NO! It could scare the child…"

"Very well it was only an idea. Once he is dead though someone will need to take care of her. She is but an infant and her mother is the worst kind of trash. Allie, my human assistant is willing to take the child. I doubt the woman will notice the baby is gone to be honest."

"How old is she?" Pam asked which surprised me.

"Which one Allie or the baby?" Isabella asked as confused as I was.

"The baby, how old is the baby?" she asked with great interest.

"She is over 1 or so, maybe older if I had to guess. Human ages are hard to figure for me."

"Belinda gave birth to a child. A child that he told her died right after birth. Are you sure the child is 1 could she be older? Say 2 and half years old?"

"What? Belinda…. What?" I was beyond shocked. I had never seen anything like that in Belinda's thoughts. She had never mentioned it to Eric or me, but I guess it would be very painful to have lost a child in childbirth.

"I am not sure; I could glamour the woman to find out more if you like?"

"Yes, go now. If the child is Belinda's I will take her with me tonight." I looked at Pam as I asked,

"Please tell me…" Pam closed her eyes and gave me access to her memories as seen through Belinda's eyes. Belinda was in labor in a bathroom of a dark apartment or hotel room. I couldn't tell which. She was trying so hard and she had been so good during the pregnancy to make sure the baby was healthy and was determined to be a good mom. Suddenly the baby was born and I could see Duggin holding the baby and leaving the room with the baby in his arms. Belinda was crying and begging to see the baby, but he came back into the room crying telling her the baby had died. Everything else was a blur but I saw a graveside funeral of sorts, I saw Belinda crying in the dark alone and then much later in her memories I saw her drive by Fangtasia and look at the lights.

It had all happened before we met her. How many terrors had she endured? I was sad beyond imagination and Eric too had seen it all as Pam had opened her bond to both of us to see what had happened. Could Joe have sold the baby? Did he kill the baby? Was the baby Isabella saw really Belinda's daughter? We would soon know I thought as I lunged at him without reason and in total rage!

"Joe Duggin, tonight you die!" I was biting and striking as I felt Eric pulling me off and then with a shout I stopped.

**EPOV**

I knew within moments Sookie would have killed Duggin and I had plans for the bastard, as did Pam. I grabbed Sookie at her waist and shouted,

"As your Maker I command you to stop!" and she did but she was desperately trying to shake off the command. Her ability to do this was something Pam could not do to a command from me. But Sookie, with her special powers, was able to shake me off with enough effort so I knew my time was limited and I turned her toward Newlin as I began to train her to hunt.

"This is YOUR target Sookie. Breathe in his scent, watch as Savoy takes his revenge for our Hunter." She began to growl and shake as her fangs elongated before clicking into place, so I knew she was actually listening to me.

"Good, my mate, very good…" Savoy had begun to work over Newlin telling him what an asshole he was for kidnapping and scaring a little kid like Hunter. I led Sookie forward to where Newlin was chained.

"Let this mother fucker go… I want a fight out of this bastard!" Remy commanded and I smiled at the sentiment.

"In just a moment," I promised as I turned my attention back to Sookie, "Now Sookie, breathe him in and learn his scent. You will hunt him in a moment and you will need his scent. Do you want him my mate? Do you want to catch him?" I asked seeing the excitement in her eyes build.

Before I released him Bill came over to remind me of the hidden tunnels and the possibility of other vampires being held in them. I nodded to show him I had remembered. I asked him to help me watch Newlin as Sookie's life would be in danger somewhat once we released him, but she needed to learn to hunt and she need to learn to hunt when and where it counted. To hunt someone who hated her as much as Newlin did and in his own territory would be very beneficial to her, but I would take every precaution ensuring she was safe and not harmed in anyway.

**Bill POV**

I watched with envy as Eric held Sookie. He stood behind her holding her against him with one arm wrapped around her, his hand dangerously low on her hip. She ground back against him and I wanted Sarah like this. I wanted her desperately. I wanted to hunt with her. I wanted this revenge but I wanted it with her present. I realized that I no longer wanted Sookie. I wanted what Sookie and Eric have; a partnership. I would have to take care to treat Sarah as my equal if I wanted what Sookie and he had together.

Sookie was circling Newlin as Pam and I approached Duggin. He was struggling in vain on the table while I watched him with hate in my heart. I had never hated anyone or anything as much as I hated this man.

"So Mr. Duggin, you take pleasure from torturing and raping women?" I growled.

"I didn't do nothing wrong… her husband told me too… said they liked it that way!" it was Pam who responded to that lie.

"Did Belinda like it too? Did she like it when you raped her or burnt her with the curling iron? Did she like it when you killed her baby?" Pam had him by the throat as she made a cut to his inner thigh and up toward his balls.

"I ain't killed no baby… that baby… please stop…" but his screams fell on deaf ears.

"That baby what? What happened to the baby Joe?"

"I sold her to a woman here in Dallas and attorney... Brandt something… she paid cash!"

"You sold your own child?"

"She was a whore and that baby could'a been anybody's baby…weren't my baby…" and he spit blood as Pam slapped him for calling her Beloved a whore.

"So the woman with the baby here that you call daughter…" Pam tried to question but he screamed out.

"You stay away from her. She is a good girl she ain't done nothing to nobody!"

"So that is a different baby then, another child?"

"Yeah, please stop… please…" once again his pleas were unheard as Pam cut him and I bit and hit indiscriminately to aide her in any way I could. Pam looked to me and said,

"I want him up from here. Shall we hunt with Sookie and Eric? It could be fun Compton, what say you?"

"Yes, let's hunt. I will enjoy killing the man who hurt my Sarah." From across the room Newlin screamed,

"She's not yours… she is still my wife you demon from Hell." Sookie hit him across the face as she growled out,

"Really Stevie don't you have enough problems of your own, over here, without interrupting other people's conversations across the room? Now be a good boy and run…" with that she released him and we release Duggin so we could hunt and have our revenge.

As Newlin took off running, I ran behind him as Pam was quickly closing in on Duggin. I wanted to be sure Sookie was safe and as I passed where Newlin was running I smelled something odd, something strange and then I realized it was explosives. Newlin lunged for the wall and I thought _'we were all dead_' as he screamed,

"Die… whore of Satan… die…" but as he ran nothing happened and Eric held up a hand full of caps.

"The wonderful thing about C-4 is that it won't go off without the ignition caps. Now keep running Steve, I am teaching my wife to hunt and you are the bait." I stayed with Eric and Sookie as he had asked me to do earlier and I heard Sookie tell Savoy to stay with Pam as she toyed with Duggin.

Newlin was running for his life and it was to his advantage that he was down in these tunnels but thanks to Sarah we had great knowledge of them as well. I lost sight of Sookie and Eric as we rounded a corner and felt something or someone slam their full body weight against me up against a wall. It was Newlin and he had a stake in his hand. Before I could move to defend myself he was coming down with the stake onto my chest, but just then there were several loud pops and the look of happiness and satisfaction on Newlin's face changed to confusion.

**SPOV**

I was looking forward to hunting Newlin and I was even looking forward to ending him. He was beyond help of any kind. He could NEVER be rehabilitated. From across the room I heard Bill say,

"Yes, let's hunt. I will enjoy killing the man who hurt my Sarah." Then the dumbass I was kicking had the balls to scream out,

"She's not yours… she is still my wife you demon from Hell." I knocked him across the face. What a dumbass like he didn't already have a full dance card. I was kicking his ass and he still thought he was in charge. Well guess what? I gave him a reality check, and I knocked the hell out of him again as I said,

"Really Stevie don't you have enough problems of your own, over here, without interrupting other people's conversations across the room? Now be a good boy and run…" Then I let the bastard go so I could have a good hunt and feed. He ran for his life and as he lunged for the wall he screamed,

"Die… whore of Satan… die…" but as he ran nothing happened and Eric held up a hand full of caps. Now I knew why Eric had had that shit eating grin on his face earlier. He had found the explosives and disarmed them when we first arrived! God I love my vampire. He is sexy, smart and strong. I am the luckiest girl in the world!

"The wonderful thing about C-4 is that it won't go off without the ignition caps. Now keep running Steve, I am teaching my wife to hunt and you are the bait." I stayed with Eric as Bill flanked us and told Remy to stay with Pam as she toyed with Duggin.

We ran around the corner of a long tunnel and we lost immediate track of Newlin, but I knew he was close. Eric was 15 – 20 feet behind me as he was letting me have room to track and hunt. He was an excellent teacher and I was having fun until I had a strange feeling of dread and felt a POP. I knew a Fae had just popped into the house and I came around the corner, intending to go back up the stairs for I could feel exactly WHO that Fae was and I wanted to be upstairs and I wanted to be upstairs now. As I came back to the stairs I watched in horror as I saw Newlin coming down with a stake toward Bill's heart, but then before the stake could fall, I heard something that sounded like loud fireworks and the look on Newlin's face just about said it all, as I may or may not have screamed like a girl.

**PPOV**

As Remy and I cornered the asshole who had tortured my beloved I heard two distinct sounds. One was gunfire coming from below in the tunnels. The second was the sound of a Faery popping into the room. I had enough time to turn around and say,

"Well Fuck a Zombie!" before all hell broke loose as more pops began…

**A/N: Dum Dum Dum… don't hate momma minion too bad! You know that I love you. We are looking forward to some ****much needed and much anticipated ESN, PBN and BSN next chapter****. Everyone gets some loving and calm time. I hope that makes you feel better. HUGS **


	43. Chapter 43 I Am Yours

**Chapter 43 – I am Yours **

**A/N:** **WARNING:** This is basically one big long lemon that is why it is so long… **RATED MA**… But I owe you guys some lemonade as we have had a small drought. I love my content editor, who is the talented **kjwrit **(yes I know her! And her story **"All In"** just hit 3000 reviews..holy Russell Edgington batman) and my BETA the one and only **Sassyvampmama** (you have to read **"The Adventures of Derek Southman"**)

**A note to two of my beloved baby minions**: rubycherrylips and Anonymous (but I call you my vampire sprite killer) please turn on your PM capability so I can reply back to you! I love you and want to talk to you too! HUGS

_**LAST TIME: (It was a night of retribution and pay back for Newlin and Duggin as they tried to escape)**_

**SPOV**

"**Really Stevie don't you have enough problems of your own, over here, without interrupting other people's conversation across the room. Now be a good boy and run…" Then I let the bastard go so I could have a good hunt and fed. He ran for his life and as he lunged for the wall he screamed,**

"**Die… whore of Satan… die…" but as he ran nothing happened and Eric held up a hand full of caps. Now I knew why Eric had had that shit eating grin on his face earlier. He had found the explosives and disarmed them when we first arrived! God I love my vampire. He is sexy, smart and strong. I am the luckiest bitch in town!**

"**The wonderful thing about C-4 is it won't go off without caps. Now keep running Steve I am teaching my wife to hunt and you are the bait." I stayed with Eric as Bill flanked us. I told Remy to stay with Pam as she toyed with Duggin.**

**We ran around the corner of a long tunnel and we lost immediate track of Newlin but I knew he was close. Eric was 15 – 20 feet behind me as he was letting me have room to track and hunt. He was an excellent teacher and I was having fun until I had a strange feeling of dread and felt a POP I knew a Fae had just popped into the house. I came around the corner intending to go back up the stairs for I could feel exactly WHO that Fae was and I wanted to be upstairs and I wanted to be upstairs now. As I came back to the stairs I watched in horror as I saw Newlin coming down with a stake toward Bill's heart, but then I heard something that sounded like loud fireworks and the look on Newlin's face just about said it all as I may or may not have screamed like a girl.**

**PPOV**

**As I cornered the asshole who had tortured my beloved I heard two distinct sounds. One was gunfire coming from below in the tunnels. The second was the sound of a Faery popping into the room. I had enough time to turn around and say,**

"**Well Fuck a Zombie!" before all hell broke loose as more pops began…**

**SPOV**

I watched Newlin drop the stake as he turned in horror to see Sarah standing behind him with his own gun. She had killed Steve to save Bill. Sarah had chosen and she had chosen well. Newlin dropped to his knees and was dead, but Sarah was still holding the gun out in front of her like she thought she needed it. Bill made his way to her slowly; she was shaking and looked like she might pass out.

"Sarah, Love, give me the gun. It's over my angel, its' over."

"I had to, he was going to kill you, I had to…" she gasped out.

"I know love; you did well. Let me have the gun now Sarah, it could still have a bullet in the chamber. Just let me have it Sweetheart, alright." He cooed as he placed his arms around her from behind and then slid his hands down her arms to her hands. She was nodding as if she understood his word but she still clutched the gun aiming it at Steve's lifeless body.

She finally let go of the gun and collapsed back into his arms. I left them to give them a bit of privacy and felt Eric closing in behind me as I ascended the stairs. I then saw Belinda standing there with her light in her hand. When she had popped in, it obviously had thrown Pam off her game and Duggin had hold of her and was grappling against her as Remy got in yet another good shot. I stepped forward to intervene, but Eric put a hand on my shoulder as if to stop me. Belinda stepped forward, in between Pam and Joe and we watched as she knocked him away from Pam.

"YOU DARE TOUCH MY BONDED?" she shouted.

"I'll kill you bitch! I should have killed you that night instead of burning you!" he bellowed as she stalked around him.

"You have no idea what I am."

"I know who you are… you are a poor little cunt whore…" she slapped him to the ground and he looked up in shock as she smiled evilly down at him.

"I said WHAT… You have no idea WHAT I am, but you're about to find out, you sick fuck!" she toyed with him for a while, knocking him to the ground and letting him get up, only to do the same thing again and again until Eric intervened and said,

"Belinda, that is enough; finish him, now!" That was all she needed and lit him up like the Fourth of July. The other pops I had heard while ascending the stairs were Christean and Niall. They had stood motionless while Belinda took her revenge. She looked wounded and worried as she looked to Pam,

"I am your bonded. I should have stood with you tonight. He was about to stake your ass Pam! I am NOT that same fragile girl. You should have told me what was happening."

"He was not about to stake me. You popping in distracted me for a moment, but I was getting the upper hand back and Savoy was about to hit him in the head, so I was fine. I beat the hell out of him earlier and there was no coming back from the likes of that and just for the record you will always be my fragile girl." Pam sighed and before Belinda could respond I said,

"She didn't know, not at first" I defended. "Eric and I didn't tell her until we were in the air. We just wanted to protect you baby. We love you so much. I am sorry we overprotect you so much, but well…you are our baby." She nodded and smiled as she flew into Pam's arms. Pam looked at her lovingly as she said,

"I have important, good news. I have no idea how to tell you this, so I will just say it, your daughter lives. He sold her to someone here in Dallas, an attorney named Brandt. We will find her. I swear it." Belinda looked pale and fell backwards out of Pam's arms as she passed out cold. Eric was able to catch her before she hit the ground and he handed her back to Pam while she explained what she had just said to Christean and Niall. Both men nodded and I heard them begin to make plans to retrieve their family member at any cost.

Remy was unsure what to make of what had just happened, but was visibly tired. Bill was making his way upstairs with Sarah in his arms as Eric was re-setting the charges to the explosives. He said the place was already wired and we could use it to our advantage. Niall and Christean popped Belinda, Pam and Remy home while I popped Bill and Sarah into their suite at the Hotel Camilla before re-joining Eric at the compound to take care of FOTS and Newlin once and for all.

It was decided that I had to vaporize Newlin's body on the off chance that anything was pulled from the fire after we lit this place up; there would be no way to explain away the 7 bullet wounds in his chest and neck. Sarah must either be extremely lucky or excellent marksman. We basically set Steve up so that it appeared he'd lost his mind and "pulled a Waco" Stan and Isabella came back bringing with them the men who survived the night I had come to save Eric because we had to make it look like a mass suicide. I hated like everything to do it but a quick search of the men's minds showed me that they were beyond rehabilitation. Left with no other choice, we had to do what we had to do.

We gathered all the files and loaded them into the vans that left as quickly as they came while Eric re-capped the explosives and we re-wired the place to blow. Unbeknownst to Steve, while under Stan's glamour he had left a suicide video and a very detailed confession of every dirty deed he had ever done or orchestrated. We uploaded and sent the video from Steve's personal computer and waited about 10 minutes before we set the charges and lit it up seconds before I popped Eric and I to Fangtasia.

Pam and Belinda had cleaned up in Bon Temps so Eric and I quickly used the employee showers to wash the blood from our bodies and change into our party attire. I made an appearance at the party and did a quick pop back to Gran's house. I walked to where Hunter laid sleeping and sat on the side of the bed as I lit my hands and I put them on his little head beginning to heal all his little hurts. The thought of this sweet baby having nightmares over what Newlin and Jonathan had done by kidnapping him was just not acceptable to me. Once I was done I popped back into Eric's office and then went in search of my nest mates to check on how they were all fairing.

Pam was hovering over Belinda who still looked rather pale and Eric was barking orders into a phone all the while lounging on his throne to enthrall the vermin. I smiled at the sight as I remembered the first time I had seen him sitting there much the same as he was now. I walked to the stage and much to the fangbangers chagrin I climbed in his lap and closed my eyes. He hung up the phone and kissed me thoroughly. It was a "for show" kiss, but to make up for the fact that we were cuddling in public. I felt his amusement through our shared bond. We were there for around a half hour when the story went viral and footage of the burning compound was on the news. Once that was on the air Belinda looked at me and said,

"Eric, Sookie, I'm tired. Can Pam and I go home now? Daddy and Niall are there with Gram Lilli and Gammy and I want to go home." She was trying so hard to be brave so no one would notice her behavior was strange. It was very important that we all acted very, very normal right now. Some of our younger vampires were celebrating Newlin's demise, and though we did not celebrate with them Eric announced,

"With the death of this monster perhaps now Vampire and Human relations can finally take a step forward toward understanding and peace. Drinks are on the house." He then turned back to us,

"My nest, let us go home." We walked to his office and from there we popped to the safety of our home. It felt so go to be home. Belinda walked straight to Lillianna and cuddled against her. Laurell then gave us all a look that could have killed.

"YOU HAVE GOT GAUL… I give you that! You go to war tonight and you say nothing to your grandfather or ME?" It was that moment that let me know I was going to catch the brunt of this tongue lashing!

"Gammy…"

"Don't you 'Gammy' me. I have never been more furious with anyone in my existence. I expect this kind of behavior from the Viking, but not you. The family should have been there…all of the family. You went off half cocked and you know it."

"NO we did NOT! We had a great plan and carried it out to a T! We were never in any danger and took revenge against our enemies. YOU are not the only one who can come up with a plan and carry it out! " I realized my hands were glowing and I was floating again…damn it…

"She is the one." Niall said to Laurell who was still angry with me and then she pulled the grandmother card… she said the one thing that would bring me to my knees.

"She may very well be, but if she loved me; she would have trusted me." I saw her wipe a red tear and that was all it took.

"Oh Gammy, I do love you. It was a 'NEST thing' that is why we handled the situation this way. You understand that don't you? I love you Gammy please don't cry."

"I am not crying…" she smiled a little at me as she continued, "I may have teared up a bit but I did not cry. I do understand on some level that you were protecting us and felt that as a nest you had to do what you did, but I don't have to like it. I love you too, my ferocious little grand-daughter." We hugged and then I collapsed into Eric's arms for a much needed hug from him as well.

Belinda was lying on the couch with her head in Lillianna lap and Alexander stood stoically nearby as if he were guarding them. Soon after, in the safety of her Grandparent's arms, she fell fast asleep as Niall and Christean began to fill in Marcus and Laurell on the missing baby. Laurell picked up her cell phone and began speaking fast and furiously in another language, I swear it was a mix of Romanian and ancient Faery. When I looked to Marcus he said,

"Family attorney," I simply nodded as Eric added,

"We should use Cataliades. He is local and he is on retainer to the kingdom. We will have our little angel's baby back soon."

**BPOV**

I awoke to voices. It was Daddy and Niall talking to someone named 'Cat' something… going on and on about false documentation… selling of a human child… and to check someone named Brandt.

"The cost is not important…" he spit into the phone, "I will have my grandchild back!" When Daddy said that it was then that I remembered what I had always hoped and dreamed of was true. My daughter had not died she had been stolen.

"The adoption was obviously illegal so we have that going for us…" Niall said to whoever he was speaking to. Gammy was also on the phone and Marcus was stroking her hand as to soothe her. I could also see Sookie, Pam and Eric talking with Gammy and Marcus. I was cuddled up in Gram Lilli's lap and she was stroking my hair as Alex patted my back. Alex may not be my biological grandfather but he felt like family. It was then realized we were all home and my family was going to help my find my daughter. I sat up and smiled and my Pam was immediately in front of me on her knees cupping my face in her hands.

"I want you to drink from me. You passed out earlier and that is not good…"

"I'm okay sweetheart. I love you." I hugged her and she seemed to relax. Gram Lilli kissed my cheek and said she needed to make some calls as she left me in Pam's care. Sven and Livy walked in and he asked Eric,

"What is happening?" before he could answer I did.

"They're finding my daughter." I smiled weakly as everyone realized I was awake and they began to ask me questions about where I gave birth, names, dates and places. I rattled off information that I thought I had long forgotten, but it was still there locked in my mind. My family took the information they gathered and began to relay it into the phones they were speaking on. From what I gathered Daddy and Niall were on a conference call with the same person, Gammy was talking with someone in a foreign language, I had no idea who Eric was talking to but Sookie was on the phone with Bill.

"Hey, real quick favor, tomorrow we need your computer skills. Call us as soon as you can… Oh and I can pop ya'll home or you can fly home on the jet just call me and let me know. I guess it would be a good cover story as to why we sent the jet to Dallas if you ride home in it… either way call me, we need your help, okay?" I looked at Pam and said,

"We are really going to get her back, aren't we?"

"Yes my darling angel we are." The phone calls seemed to be dying down and I was being surrounded with hugs and support. I only wanted to be alone with Pam and go to bed now. Sookie seemed to be on the same page I was as she said,

"Alright everyone, we have all had a long night and I think we have a good start on finding," she paused and looked to me, "I'm sorry what is her name?" and without hesitation I said,

"Maggie, I was going to name her Maggie." Daddy sighed as he crossed the room to hug me at the sound of my mother, his great loves name being spoken.

"She would have loved that baby… loved it." We all hugged and circled up as we tend to do when all together, but I was beyond tired and Sookie was right, we did have a great start on finding my baby girl. She would be 2 ½ now. Pam seems to always forget the ½. We finally let go of each other and all headed for bed. I was very happy for that. I just wanted to be alone with Pam.

We entered our resting chamber and went straight to the shower. We had cleaned up when we popped to the house in Bon Temps but I still felt grimy. Once inside the shower I felt Pam's hands on my shoulders and immediately felt wet with arousal. I didn't want to think, I just wanted to feel. Pam understood my need as I turned in her arms and kissed her lips. She cupped my breasts in her hands and she began gently pinching my nipples. I moaned and begged,

"Please touch my pussy… mmmm…please…" her hand dropped between my legs as she whispered,

"Spread your legs for me…yes… that's right. What a good girl you are…" She knows what that does to me. She pulled me from the shower and as she dried me off she continued to talk dirty to me.

"I am going to lay you down and lick your little pussy. Do you want me to lick you pussy baby?"

"Oh yes…please…"

"I will, and all you have to do is show me… show me where to lick." I put my hands between my legs and began to touch where I wanted her to touch all the while knowing she loved watching me play with myself.

"Oh that's a good girl. But you're really not a good girl are you? You're a naughty little girl, laying there play with your clit. Tell me what I should do with a naughty girl like you."

"Please suck my clit…please… lick it and play with it." I begged as I removed my hands and began touching Pam.

"Oh I will baby, but first I want you to rub that wet pussy on my leg while you suck my tits. You know what that does to me. It makes me wet…dripping wet." I climbed on top of her and began to rub my wet sex on her leg and it felt wonderful to finally have the friction I so desperately needed.

I latched onto one nipple with my mouth and the other with my hand and soon she was screaming my name and begging me to touch her pussy. I rubbed her between her legs and she quivered in pleasure and I knew she was close. I turned my body so my sex was above her mouth and I could lick her as well. She pulled me down hard on her mouth when I began to flick her clit with the tip of my tongue. I was in awe of how good she was and good she could make me feel. I felt her come and she flipped me to my back as she continued to please me. I was screaming,

"Pleaseeee… NOW! Oh God Pam, I AM YOURS!" and as I climaxed she turned her head and bit. God I loved that so much. It was the best feeling and the most wonderful release in the world. How I had ever lived without her I didn't know, but know I had her forever and soon we would have a family of our own. We made love after that, it seemed like that was the way with us. We would attack each other with the overwhelming need to feel, touch and stroke. The after the initial round of sex we would end up spending the night cooing and loving each other for hours. My loving wife, she would be my wife when we pledged. I knew that I would not be able to be turned as soon as we had hoped now, but it would be worth it to have Maggie back.

**Bill POV**

Lovely, she is just lovely. I watched as Sarah came floating out of the bedroom in her ball gown and I was so tempted to pull it back off her and just take her to bed, but we had to make an appearance at the party downstairs to make our alibi air tight. We had but a few more moments before Eric and Sookie would blow the place so we needed to get downstairs and get noticed. And as lovely as she was I had no doubt that she would get noticed, but I also knew she would be recognized as Steve Newlin's wife immediately as well, and it would turn into a paparazzi free for all once the bombs went off. I would have to get her out fast. The ball was being covered by the media, if you can call those vultures media, but they were there in force from what I had seen earlier when I scouted the area while Sarah had dressed. I smiled at her as I asked,

"Are you ready my love?"

"Yes. I feel much better now and I am ready to dance with you. Does that make me a bad person?" she asked me, wondering if her feeling free and happy made her a monster because she had just killed her husband.

"You saved me. You are my hero and you could never be a bad person. You were lost for a while, but you have found yourself now my love. Oh my Sarah, how have I ever existed without you?" I said the last part almost to myself, more than to her, but the question pleased her and she hugged me tightly as we headed out the door to go to the ballroom. Once there we immediately took to the floor and danced every dance. I was kissing her deeply when the announcement came on about Steve Newlin committing suicide and blowing up the compound. She clung to me a little tighter as we knew this was when we had it staged for Isabella's human assistant Allie to bring to everyone attention that Sarah Newlin was here and with a vampire.

"Excuse me ma'am, but aren't you Sarah Newlin, Steve Newlin's wife?" Allie asked on cue in a loud voice and very quickly the ballroom quieted as she began to speak.

"I was, but I left him months ago." She was being swarmed with cameras and questions. It was then that Allie said,

"If you'd like to make a comment… use the mic." She pointed to where the band was on stage. I held her hand and said,

"You don't have to do this." I was silently willing her to know that she had been seen and that was all we needed.

"Yes, I think I do." She walked toward the stage and one of the band members offered his hand to help her up as I lifted her by her waist.

"I was Sarah Newlin, technically I still am, but I left Steve several months ago after he attacked and beat me viciously. He then blamed the attack on an innocent vampire and when I would not go along with the story he beat me and raped me, again. He also allowed another man to rape me as well as part of my punishment, so you are not the only ones he has hurt. He was a horrible person who hurt people indiscriminately; anyone who did not believe what he believed to be true was his enemy." She paused to catch her breath before continuing,

"I want you all to know how sorry I am if he hurt any of your family, nest mates or friends. I know that I have a lot to make up for and I plan on helping the vampire community and human relations in any way that I can to stop the hatemongering. A very wise woman, who is a vampire Queen actually, once told me not to judge a person by what they are but on how they act and from now on, I promise to act like, and to be a good friend to all of you." She looked to me and I smiled as she continued,

"I never knew what love was until I was saved by a vampire. So I know for a fact that vampires can love and feel and be wonderful friends." Her comments suddenly spurred an impromptu press conference as she was asked from someone in the crowd,

"Do you BELONG to a vampire?" and without hesitation she made my dead heart leap when she said,

"Yes, I do." And she looked at me and smiled as if to ask if she could say my name. I nodded in response and she grinned and pointed,

"He's right here, Mr. William Compton of Bon Temps, Louisiana. I am his." She said with a sound of pride in her voice as I said without hesitation,

"And I am yours." There were gasps from my comment that came from the old school vamps who could not believe I would lower myself to say I was a human's, but there was a great more number of "Awwws" so that had to be a good thing. I leapt up on to the stage and spoke into the mic.

"I believe my love has been a good sport and answered all of your questions so we will be taking our leave. This is very unsettling news, no matter how horrible he was this is most unexpected and has taken an emotional toll on my human companion, my soon to be bonded, so we will be retiring for the evening. Any other questions that you may have will need to go through my King, Eric Northman of Shreveport, Louisiana. Thank you." We left to go upstairs so she could catch her breath and I admit that the 'soon to be bonded' part of my speech had slipped out and was unintended. I meant every word and I realized with great happiness that I was in love, true love.

Once inside our room I told her, "Sarah I was so impressed with how you handled all of that. You truly were wonderful and if you meant what you said about helping with vampire rights you will be able to do more good than you will ever know."

"I hope so. I want to help. I want to make things better." She yawned before blushing as she asked me, "Will you bathe me? I loved that before…" she trailed off as if she were afraid I would deny her.

"Come to me love, let me undress you and bathe you. Then I am going to make love to you Sarah. I am going to love you until sunrise. You are going pass out from the pleasure of it all, I swear."

"Oh my…" was all my Texas Belle could say as I walked her to the posh bathroom with its sunken tub and began to undress her. I had seen her before but this was totally different and very, very wonderful.

The gown slipped off her easily enough and pooled around her feet. I took her hand and helped her step out of it. It was one of those wonderful dresses where no bra was needed so she now stood before me in a sweet pair of pink lace panties. I was beginning to realize pink was her favorite color and with her light tan it was a perfect color for her. I pulled her against me and she began to unbutton my shirt as she pulled it from my waist band. I pulled her busy fingers from the buttons and kissed them gently as I whispered,

"Let me run your bath… here put on my shirt until the water is ready." I took the shirt the rest of the way off and unbuttoned my pants and was taken aback when my sweet, innocent Sarah licked her lips.

"Oh my love, that was sexy." She grinned and blushed as she admitted,

"I've thought about this all day looking forward to feeling your hands on me again." Something about her saying that wearing nothing but panties and my shirt was a total turn on. I was barely able to stay on task and start the bath, but I had decided this night would be special for her and I was determined to stick with my wooing plan.

Once the water was run I helped her out of her panties, but I allowed myself one bit of pleasure I knelt before her and gently kissed her sex as I listened to her moan and it spurred me to lick licked harder and deeper and soon I had brought her hard. She was still quivering as I lowered her into the tub, so I disrobed and joined her in the tub. I bathed and washed her hoping she was becoming familiar with my touch. I planned to be gentle and easy with her as to re-acclimate her to sex and the wonderful, loving act it can be. Once she was relaxed I pulled her from the tub and dried her. She was smiling like it was the happiest day in her life and then she whispered,

"This is the safest and happiest I have ever been, oh William, thank you."

"No, thank you my love for trusting me now lay back and let me please you." I laid her down gently and eased my way down her luscious body kissing, licking and teasing until she was whimpering with desire.

"William… please… oh…" I ever so tenderly entered her very slowly and kissed her as I whispered,

"I love you Sarah. I love you." I could not stop telling her. I looked to her face and saw tears flowing and for a moment I worried that she was in pain or scared but from the blood that we shared I could feel only happiness and something else… something I had not felt in long time and even then not like this… love.

"I love you too William. I love you so much. I didn't know it could be like this. That it was supposed to be like this. Oh William, I love you… I am yours…" and she threw her head back and started panting. I knew she was close so I doubled my efforts to bring her as much pleasure as possible. I almost kept my promise to her because she did pass out, but it was at 4 am and not until dawn. She was cuddled into my side and I rocked her as she slept and I told her once more, "I love you Sarah" To my immense delight, she smiled in her sleep.

**EPOV**

I wanted to take my little faery vampire home and have my wicked way with her, but we were immediately greeted with a tongue lashing from Laurell and rightly so. We should have consulted her and Marcus out of respect for their position, not to mention that they are part of our family. Sookie handled the situation well and we were able to move onto the family's new top priority of finding Belinda's daughter. I made a few preliminary phone calls that would lay the ground work to begin a search as did the rest of the family. We would need to sit down and talk tomorrow night so that our contacts were working as a team and in tandem. Sookie soon felt the lust I was sending her through our bond and I may or may not have sent a tiny little pull through the bond to reinforce the lust. She sent me a glare and shook her head, but soon advised the family we should call it a night and reconvene tomorrow night.

Once we made it to our resting chamber we were all alone, finally. I started telling her all of the depraved things I wanted to do to her. She rubbed up against me and kissed my chest as she wrapped her arms around me. She giggled and as she scented me she asked,

"So, am I your naughty little faery who needs to be punished, or your sweet little baby vampire who needs her maker to save her?"

"Neither, you are an innocent little human telepath who has wandered into my bar needing rescuing from a nest of evil vampires who want to drain you." If she was willing to play so was I. I had wanted to roll play with her for a long time now so if she was offering I would take advantage. She smiled and said,

"Okay, I'll be right back" She ran to our walk-in closet and I could feel the excitement through the bond. I walked to my desk and sat behind it as if I were at Fangtasia busying myself with paperwork and even turned on the computer. From behind the closed closet door I heard a knock and a sweet little voice.

"Mr. Northman, may I come in?"

"Enter. Who are you and how did you get to my private office door?" I growled in a voice that I would never use with her now, but once had many months ago as I had attempted back then to shake her hold on me.

"I'm Sookie Stackhouse and I'm in need of your help." she said demurely, her eyes downcast, as I realized she had put on the white dress with little red flowers on it… damn it… I'm screwed.

"Why would I help you, a mere human?" I tried to sound imposing but the dress was throwing me off my game.

"Well, if you help me, I have… talents… and I would be willing to help you in return." She purred in a voice that let me know she knew the affect she was having on me.

"Miss Stackhouse, there are a hundred women out in my bar who have… talents… that they would love to share with me. What makes your 'talents' so special?" I smirked with my eyebrow lifted.

"Mr. Northman, I do need your help but I won't stand for that kind of innuendo. I'm a good girl. So I will tell you what I am. What I am is a telepath and a nest of vampires that have moved in near my home won't leave me alone. I am willing to work for you if you save me from them." She looked at me sweetly as I pushed back away from my desk and walked toward her. I watched her eyes hood with lust as I removed the vest I was wearing and it left me bare chested.

"A telepath… you don't say… I had a physic once and she was delicious. Has a vampire ever tasted you, Sookie? I can call you Sookie can't I?" She nodded as I continued, "So is that a yes I can call you Sookie or yes you have been bitten before by a vampire." She tilted her head down but looked up at me from under those hooded eyes replying.

"No… I mean yes, you can call me Sookie and no I have never been bitten. What does it feel like?"

"It can be very pleasurable. Would you like me to show you Sookie? I can bring you great pleasure and once I make you mine, no vampire will DARE come near you let alone hurt you. So would you like to know great pleasure little one?" This was the most fun role playing I had had in a LONG time she was perfect. She was playing this just like it was real, just like she would have reacted long ago.

"Yes, I mean, I don't know… Mr. Northman, I've never even…" She blushed as she looked down at her fingers that she had twisted in her nervous habit. A habit that she had since broken and I had not seen her do in many months so it was an extra turn on that she was doing this for me now. She was acting for me and putting on a great show.

"You can call me Eric and I know. I am a vampire. I can smell that you are an innocent. I will be gentle and then I will be rough. I will give you the world. Do you want it Sookie?"

"Yes, Eric, I want it all." Now the Sookie from a year ago would not have given in so willingly, but who knows without all the shit Compton put her through she just might have let her guard down around me. Not to mention all the lies he told her about me to keep me from her. So I made my next move and waited to see what she would do. I growled out,

"Strip." And she did. SHIT.

"Lay back on the desk with your legs spread." And she did. FUCK.

"Call me master or sir, until I tell you otherwise." I felt her excitement as she complied with my every command,

"Yes, sir, my Master." she then whispered with desire in her voice and lust in her eyes. KILL ME NOW.

I took one finger and ran it up and down her hot wet slit. It was driving her crazy. I took my wet finger and pressed to her other opening and she panted out, "Oh Master, I've never done anything like this, please be gentle with my little pussy and ass." Damn it she was killing me.

"I tell you what we are going to do Sookie, I am going to disrobe and you are going to do whatever I tell you to do, right?"

"Oh yes Master."

"Good Girl." I stripped with vampire speed and continued to speak again. "Let's begin. Come here, I want to fuck and bite and rub myself all over you."

"Please Master, you promised to be sweet."

"No, I promised to be gentle and then rough. You will like both." I smirked and caught a slight grin from her before she slipped back into character and looked at me with fear and awe. Damn it she was good at this. I decided that I would have to treat her as if I would have that night. She was acting for me, so I would act for her.

"Come, I have a bed. I want you on the bed while I am being sweet. Then I will bend you over this desk and fuck you until you scream." I growled and she clung to my arms as I held her against my body. I laid her down on the bed and just looked at her as she put her hand between her legs and played with herself while I watched.

"Not as innocent as you seem…" I lowered my head and licked her from ass to clit and back again. She was a moaning and thrashing. I wanted to hear her say my name so I gave her permission.

"Say my name… tell me your mine."

"Eric, I am yours!" she screamed as I brought her hard with nothing more than my tongue. She was thrashing and begging for me. I put her back down on the bed and she reached for me and whispered,

"Please, Eric… Please save me from the bad vampires, make me yours." _'Damn it we are definitely going to have play this game again_', I thought as I made my way to her to give her exactly what she wanted.

**SPOV**

When Eric growled at me and told me I wasn't as innocent as I seemed I almost broke character. He was just so good, so sexy and he made me feel so good. He gave me permission to call him Eric again and commanded me to tell him that I was his. I didn't know if he even realized it or not but he was compelling me to tell him this through the bond as well. He needed to claim me and I needed to be claimed.

"Please, Eric… Please save me from the bad vampires, make me yours." There was a deep rumbling in the bond and he made a slow path up my body and teased my pussy with just the head of his cock. He rubbed my wet slit over and over until I was whimpering and then he very slowly began to press inside me.

"Easy little one, I will not hurt you." He was playing this to a T and I loved it. He was being like he would have been that night. Not loving, but gentle he would have been a gentleman even that night. He would not have hurt me the way Bill did. He would not have used me like that. I felt the tears begin to well and I tried to shake them off and stay in character, but it was too late, Eric felt me and heard my thoughts as he broke character and whispered,

"Lover, I have you. I have you." And he rocked me as he entered me to the hilt. He cooed and petted me with gentleness and love. He soon began to move in earnest and I was meeting him thrust for thrust as he soothed me he also brought me again hard, very hard. He held my face in his hands as he gently moved me rearranging me on the bed and pushed my knees up and as he slipped back into character as did I. He then spread my legs apart he whispered,

"I will heal you little one." With that he bit his fingers and pressed them inside me. He smiled up at me as he moved his fingers to 'heal' me. I realized he had not bit me and I questioned him,

"You didn't bit me." I said in my best sexy kitten voice.

"You didn't need to be bitten just then little one, you needed to be loved." He then placed a sweet kiss on my sex and laid his head against my stomach as he looked up at me.

"I still want you on the desk Sookie, if you are still willing to play." He was giving me an out; he was allowing me to choose if we continued to play our game or to end it.

"Oh yes Master, I want to continue…" I then sent him a mental note, which perhaps was cheating, but I wanted him to know, _'I'm alright now Eric, I just needed a moment and you gave me that.' _He took in my mental message and nodded at me. Then his voice changed as he commanded me,

"Get up and bend over the desk. Now beg me to please you… tell me I can have anything I want…" He was beginning to have blood lust and I knew how bad he wanted me and my blood. I got up and practically ran to the desk. I bent over at my waist and 'presented' myself to him looking back over my shoulder and said,

"Please Mr. Northman, please put your cock back inside me... you can put it _anywhere_ that you like_._" I drew out the word anywhere. He came to the desk and placed his rock hard cock in my mouth. I sucked him until he was growling. Then he pulled out so suddenly and I was sucking so hard that it made a popping noise. He walked behind me and rubbed the head up and down me until I was dripping wet. He then pressed inside my wet sex and pumped in me six or seven times before pulling out and he began to press inside my other entrance. Even though I had given him my permission, I was a little worried about him fitting in me there.

"Easy little one, you are going to love this." He pressed in inch by delicious inch. I was reaching behind me in an attempt to get him to push in faster, but he put my hands back down on the desk as he leaned over me completely.

"You are so greedy Sookie. I will give you what you want, but we must go slowly. You are so tight and tiny. I don't want to hurt you little one." He continued the slow pace that was killing me but soon he was buried inside me and he began to move. It was a pinching pressure at first but then it just felt incredible. He pulled me up and began massaging my clit as he fucked my ass. It was so naughty and sinful. He bit my neck and drank deeply from me and I loved it. I came so hard that when I convulsed he had to hold me up to keep me from falling back down onto the desk. My orgasm brought on his and he roared in pleasure as he screamed out my name and said he belonged to me.

"Sookie, I am yours!" He leaned against me for a moment as I leaned on the desk before picking me up and carrying me to the shower. He turned on the water and walked us into the steady stream of warm water as he looked down at me and out of nowhere asked me,

"Lover, do you know what I remember the most about the night I first saw you?"

"No, what?" I asked curiously.

"Well, besides how brave and beautiful you were, I was drawn to you. More than I ever had been to anyone. I wondered why you were so tired that night. I remember looking in your eyes and thinking _'what is making that poor girl so tired. I want to comfort her. Why do I want to comfort her?'_ I had never been so sure of needing to do something like I was of the fact that I had to care for you." He was so sincere and loving.

"You would have really taken care of me, wouldn't you have, even back then?" I realized that we truly were fated and that I should have always been his from the very beginning I should have been his.

"Oh yes Lover." He answered my convoluted question as I remembered how hard it used to be on me to be in public places. I remembered that night and all the images and voice I was trying so desperately to block out. I remembered how bad my head hurt as Bill and I drove away. Eric would have protected me from all that. Eric would have protected Gran. My life would have been so different had I met him first.

"It was hard to hold my shields in place back then. Now with your help it is all so easy. I love you Eric." I said it as if it was the first time I had ever told him and I followed up with,

"I love you so very much. I am yours and I always will be." He kissed my forehead and sighed,

"As do I and as I am." With those loving words he picked up the shampoo and began to wash my hair for me. It was the perfect ending to the crappiest night.

**A/N: Okay… too much loving or was it just right? PLEASE REVIEW So Momma might be taking a week off in a week or so… just be ready for there to be a break in the upcoming weeks. OH and next week may be late if Comcast doesn't have their crap straighten out down at the beach place, cause that is where I hope to be this weekend.**

**A note from my beloved BETA Sassyvampmama-**

**Please****, please, please check out our contest- The Snarky Sidekick Contest. We have a hard cover copy of Dead Reckoning that was signed by the one and only Charlaine Harris that we're just dying to give away! And I really want to give it to you. MommaMinion wants to give it to some hairy greasy trucker-guy from Oklahoma named Buford. I don't think it's fair, since he isn't an SVM addict and he doesn't even know who Eric Northman is (*GASP*), but she thinks Buford might appreciate it more than everyone else here on FF since we have only received one entry so far.**

**I know that some of y'all have considered writing an entry, so I say GET OFF YOUR BUTTS and do it already! (See, that's the kind of Pam-snark we want.) There's only a little more than a month left, and while we have some of the best SVM authors on our judging panel, they need time to read and judge every entry fairly. Remember, all you need to do is; 1) Channel your inner Pam (or hog-tie the snarky she-demon, we don't care), 2) go to the contest profile to find the submissions rules and guidelines, and 3) WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!**


	44. Chapter 44  The Morning After

**Chapter 44 – The Morning After **

**A/N:** Have you all recovered from the loving in the last chapter? I know my panties are still wet…hehe! As always thanks to my content editor **kjwrit** **(who did this for me early)** and my BETA **sassyvampmama **who is the **best buddy** anyone could ever ask for. I HAD TO RE WRITE SOMETHING AFTER THIS WAS BETA'D... ANY MISTAKES ARE MINE; NOT MY BELOVED TEAM!

_**LAST TIME: (Newlin is dead. They are searching for Belinda's daughter. 3 -yes count them 3- killer love scenes. … yeah did ya catch that?)**_

**SPOV**

"**Lover, do you know what I remember the most about the night I first saw you?**

"**No, what?" I asked.**

"**Well, beside how brave and beautiful you were. I was drawn to you. More than I ever had been to anyone. I wondered why you were so tired that night. I remember looking in your eyes and thinking **_**'what is making that poor girl so tired. I want to comfort her. Why do I want to comfort her?'**_** I had never been so sure of needing to do something like I was of the fact that I had to care for you."**

"**You would have really taken care of me, wouldn't you have?"**

"**Oh yes Lover."**

"**It was hard to hold my shields in place back then. Now with your help it is all so easy. I love you Eric." I said it as if it was the first time I had ever told him and I followed up with,**

"**I love you. I am yours and I always will be." He kissed my forehead and sighed,**

"**As do I and as I am." With those loving words he picked up the shampoo and began to wash my hair for me. It was the perfect ending to the crappiest night.**

**Sarah POV**

I woke up with William wrapped around me. It was a wonderful feeling. He was the best thing that had ever happened to me. I had to go to the bathroom so I wiggled out from under his arm and hopped up to take care of business. On the way back to the bed I heard a beeping noise, but I shrugged it off and started to order breakfast. We had decided that I would stay in the room today for safety and just take a breather from the world. I heard the beep a second time when I was channel surfing while waiting on my bacon and eggs, but by the third beep I realized that it was William's cell phone. _'He must have a message'_ I thought to myself and I picked it up half out of curiosity and half out of boredom. I was not trying to be snoopy; I was… I was really bored.

I didn't have his password to his voicemail but on a whim I looked at the missed call list and saw it was Sookie. I made a mental note to call her later or to tell William once he woke when I heard a knock at the door and went to open it. I checked through the peep hole first and it was a hotel employee, but I was very nervous about someone coming into the room with my William defenseless in the bed so I told him,

"Leave the tray outside the door and I will slide your tip under the door." He didn't seem surprised at my request and did as I asked.

"Yes ma'am not a problem. Have a good day." I listened for him to walk away and when I was sure he was gone I pulled my tray from the hall and I ate everything on the plate. The coffee was so good and much needed after the night I had and after my breakfast I went and cuddled back up on the bed with William. I must have fallen back asleep because my next realization was that someone was knocking on the door. As I approached I stood to one side and asked,

"Who's there?"

"Sarah, it's me, Allie from last night... Isabella's day person… I have a situation… please open up?"

I looked through the peep hole and was about to tell her no, but then I saw what she was holding in her arms. She was holding a crying little girl, a baby really, who could be no more than 13 months old. I opened the door and she practically flung the upset baby into my arms as she babbled out,

"Okay, I messed up… Bella messed up too but now I don't know what to do."

"Okay Allie calm down and tell me what happened." I said as I bounced and rocked the crying baby in my arms.

"Last night after the ball Isabella and I went to check on the baby. Bella was worried about the child. It was Joe who seemed to keep the woman in line and even though he was a monster he did check in on her from time to time. Anyway, when we got there and the mother and I use that term loosely, had overdosed. Isabella decided that we should take the baby to keep her from getting turned over to foster care. I was in foster care and it sucked. Anyway, we erased all traces of the baby from the trailer and we took her, but now I see I can't do this… I don't know what to do…" I have no idea what came over me but I said without hesitation,

"William and I will take her." I had no idea on what planet this was a good idea but I was sure that I should take care of this little baby.

"Really?" she asked in total shock. Much to my own shock, for a second time I responded with absolute surety.

"Yes, absolutely, now I need you to go to the store. Go to Babies R Us and get some bottles, diapers, some clothes, shoes and we will need a pack-n-play as well. Get a car seat too just in case. Then you'll need to run by the grocery store and pick up some baby food. Get some jars and some of the dry finger food thing. I should be able to get milk here at the hotel for her." She took down the list as I rattled it off. It was amazing to me that this is what she was good at. But then again, she was a daytime person for a vampire not mom material, but she was young still, so maybe one day. I smiled at the bundle in my arms, she had quieted down the moment I took her, but now she was looking up at me with bright eyes.

"Hello, what is your name?"

"We don't know. Neither of us ever heard anyone call her by her name." Allie said as she gathered her things and prepared to leave.

"Well, she has to have a name." I looked back down at her and said, "We will think about it while you take a much needed bath! You are one sticky girl!" I called down to the front desk and asked if they had any baby shampoo but the best they could do was send up shampoo for sensitive skin.

I began to clean her up while hoping Allie would be back before too long. I made a makeshift diaper out of a hotel hand towel and kept her warm in my arms wrapped up in a blanket. I was able to help her drink some milk out of a regular cup and was amazed that she seemed to be able to do this very easily. I called down for some fruit and soon after eating a mashed up banana she settled against me and went to sleep. I sat on the bed with William and wondered what he would say about this new addition.

**BPOV**

Pam and I had had a really late night it was full of promises and love. We still had to sit down and talk about my, or rather _our_ daughter and how we would adjust our lives once she joined us. I wondered if Eric would want us to continue to live here or if Pam would really want to live with a toddler. I was full of confusion and worry when I felt Sookie wake and immediately call to me. I walked down the hall to their resting chamber and she let me in with one of her warm smiles.

"What has you so worried, Sweetheart?" she asked with a raised eyebrow that reminded me of Eric.

"I was wondering if… Do you think Eric will still want Pam and me to live here once we find Maggie? I mean she is 2 and ½ and two year olds are active and loud…" she stopped me.

"Belinda, we love you and we will love Maggie. Of course we want you all to live here. We will just have to do some adjusting. I was thinking that once Laurell, Marcus, Alexander and Lillianna leave you and Pam should pick one of the guest houses and live there. It will give you privacy so you can bond as a family once you get Maggie. She will have to adjust to her two mommy's and the fact that one mommy is a vampire will take some getting used to as well I am sure." It warmed my heart that she had thought of me and already had a plan, but "Momma Sookie" was always worried about and taking care of her family.

She was there with me one moment and then looked off with a sadness that spread over her face as she asked,

"Was the baby Joe's?"

"Yes. He never believed me, but yes."

"She has a sister then, your Maggie, she has a sister."

"What are you talking about?" I asked with confusion.

"He had a little girl with a woman in Dallas. Isabella was concerned that the girl was being mistreated by her mom. She seemed to be the only person he was attached to and didn't hurt. With him gone I was just thinking I hope there is something we can do for her since she is Maggie's half sister."

"How old is she?"

"We don't know. Isabella thinks she is around 1 but we just don't know."

"We have to get her. We have to find Maggie and her sister. We have to bring them home together." I felt it as sure as I knew that I loved Pam and my nest. I knew that I would find my daughter and we would find her sister. I could hear Gram Lilli saying what I was thinking '_I know, what I know, what I know, what I know'_ and I smiled at my grandmother's words as a peace entered and covered my heart. Sookie felt it too as she looked at me and grinned,

"Grandmothers are good for three very important things: One, loving you unconditionally. Two, really good words of advice that you can later use and make people think you are smart and finally, secret family recipes… like brownies!" and she laughed that full laugh of hers that we all love as she put her arm around me and we walked toward the elevator to make my favorite treat! I smiled as I looked forward to the day I could make brownies with my daughter.

**SPOV**

I was spraying the muffin pan with cooking oil when Lillianna came in through the back door.

"Hello girls. What are you doing this fine day?"

"We're making brownies."

"Then why do you have a muffin pan?"

"Belinda likes the crunchy edges of the brownie and this keeps her from 'edging' around the whole pan and making a mess."

"Hey! I am not that bad!" Belinda laughed out as she hugged her grandmother and they sat down at the table and began to talk about Maggie and the fact she had a sister. Lillianna agreed with us that we had to find that baby. We knew where she was last night and with any luck Isabella still would know where to find her.

As I mixed the brownies I also got out some ingredients to make chicken salad and then decided to look and see what Pam had planned for tonight's final family meal. I felt a twinge of sadness at that thought, but I knew that Marcus had been away from his kingdom for over a month and no matter how good his people were I knew he needed to get back. Laurell staying without him was not possible as she and Marcus were tied together as tight as Eric and I. It looked to me like Pam was making 'engagement chicken' which was a super easy recipe but it is delicious just the same. The recipe amused her as she got it from Dear Abby after several ladies wrote in telling her their men proposed after they made them this meal… thus the 'engagement chicken' recipe was born.

It always made me feel better to cook so I was busy doing that when Belinda yelped out,

"Crap… Pack my food to go… I have to go to Fangtasia… shit…"

"What? Why? What are you doing?" I asked in confusion. I thought that Thalia's daytime person was handling Fangtasia today.

"Robby and Evelyn have an appointment with a therapist today to talk about her attack and their betrayal, but Robby had already made an appointment with Eric's tailor to look over some jacket he wants made. So Robby wants me to pick it up and bring it here." I started to offer to go but she seemed to want to run the errand and Lillianna offered to go with her, so I packed up the sandwiches and brownies. It still confuses me that she calls Bobby Robby, but she grew up calling him that and it is just stuck in her head. Then I thought _'Why am I doing this since they were just popping there and back?'_ It was beyond me but I had a feeling Belinda was not just doing an errand for Eric but maybe a surprise for Pam and did not want me to give it away. I do have that bad habit of "awwwwing" at all the wrong times and giving secrets away.

I finished up in the kitchen and decided I would head back down to get my planning notebook so I could call Alcide about the Nursery/Garden store that Eric and I were opening. I also wanted to talk to him about doing some work here at the house, but I would need to talk to Eric about that first. I walked into the bedroom and was slightly alarmed to see that Eric was on his stomach. _'Wasn't he on his back when I left the room?'_ was the thought that ran through my head, but I shook my head and laughed at myself as I sat down at Eric's desk and began to work.

I was excited about opening the business and getting it up and running, but I was very nervous about it. I had never run a business and I barely had a high school education because school had been so hard on me. Trying to concentrate on the teacher and block out everyone else's thoughts, including theirs, was so tough that I did not even consider going to college, not that we could have afforded it anyway. Eric had made mention of me going now that I could block out others so easily, but with the kingdom, new business and the babies that are on the horizon I just couldn't entertain the idea of college right now. My idea was that Eric was the best businessman I know so I would watch and learn from him. I was sure that he would be a better teacher than any professor in college anyways.

I was sketching out some ideas to talk to the designer and Alcide about when something just felt 'off' and I turned just in time to see Eric sit up in the bed. He turned and looked at me,

"Lover, what are you doing?"

"What am I doing? What are you doing? Eric it is only 2 in the afternoon! How are you up?"

"I thought you had woken me. I could feel your apprehension over something."

"Is your heart beating or are you just up?"

"I am just awake, as if I have risen for the night." He paused as he motioned for me to come to him and once I was in front of him he stroked my face and pushed my hair out of my eyes before asking,

"Now, my wife, what had you so worried?"

"You'll make fun of me."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because of what I was worried about is so small in the grand scheme of all we have going on. I mean we have our babies that we will be pregnant with soon. We have to find Belinda's daughter Maggie. We have to make sure we covered our tracks over all this Newlin stuff. We have to find Maggie's half sister. Our family is about to leave to go home, but I was not worried about any of that. I was worried about…" I paused out of sheer embarrassment.

"What Lover?" he grinned at my embarrassment.

"I was worried over whether or not I will be able to run a business as good as you." There was a slight pause before he laughed out that booming laugh that always makes me comfortable. That laugh seems to make everything better. Soon I was laughing too and I said,

"Well as long as you're up and in a good mood. Wanna play good faery/bad vampire or hide the pickle?" I giggled at my own corny joke, but Eric looked to me and scoffed,

"You compare this" and he stroked his self, "to a pickle? Sookie that is just insulting."

"Oh you poor baby, I am so sorry, should I kiss it to make it feel better?"

"I believe you should. It is the only action you could possibly take to make it up to Thor."

"Thor? We're calling it Thor now?"

"Of course, it is a mighty hammer is it not?"

"I love you but you are so full of shit." I giggled.

"Oh, then perhaps I should show you how powerful Thor is? Would you like to feel how hard I can hammer you my little vampire? Come to your maker, now." And he gave me a slight pull toward him through our bond.

"Oh it is on, Thor." I giggled and jumped onto him and he laughed too. I loved this about our relationship, the playfulness and simple joy of just laughing and being together.

I loved the way Eric kissed me. It was full of passion and love. I was so happy and full of desire that my whole body was vibrating and my magic was circling around us. He was panting and I realized his heart had begun to beat and I was shocked that I was able to animate him due to him already being awake. I was unable to think about that at the moment due to I was losing my higher brain functions as he began to make a slow descent down my body.

"Oh God, Eric, how the hell do you do that? Oh that feels good." I was in an orgasmic haze as he ignored my compliment and thrust into me with one fast movement. He pressed his mouth to my ear and said,

"You are vampire now… let us see what your little body can do and what it can withstand." That left me breathless and wet beyond imagination. He pounded into me over and over and over and I was screaming his name and cursing in ancient Fae, the language I seem to always revert to when I'm out of control. He was growling and his body was so damn hot. I loved it. I loved him. I loved us together. I felt my body clamp down on him and he followed suit and screamed out,

"Min älskare, min fru ... Jag älskar dig forver" I tried calm my breathing as did he and looked at him with a smile as I responded by saying,

"I love you too, Thor. I love you too." He laughed his full bodied laugh that started this adventure to which I said,

"Oh no, I am done. I have to go eat again. I'm starving. I need Royalty blend and somemore chicken salad. You wanna come up with me?"

"Yes, I want to have you again in the sunlight."

"Well you know, Belinda and Lillianna are gone to Fangtasia right now. So we have the house to ourselves." I grinned as we raced for the elevator to see who could get to the pool first. When we got upstairs Eric asked me,

"Why did Belinda go in today?"

"To pick up your jacket. Bobby and Evelyn have a therapy appointment and Bobby couldn't make the appointment with your tailor."

"I see."

"Eric are you up to something?" I grinned as I realized the _up to _was an accurate description of him as he was stroking himself by the pool.

"Yes Lover I am, does this surprise you?" He grinned with a raised eyebrow. I could feel how happy he was to be by the pool in the daylight. So I decided to play along and continue with the innuendos.

"No not at all. Is Belinda up to something too?"

"Yes lover she is." He grinned as he continued stroking himself and I was completely wet as I asked,

"You are doing something for me and she is doing something for Pam? Is that about the _long and short_ of it?" he smile and said,

"Oh Lover, it is a _very long_ story, but one I cannot tell you just yet. You will love it though."

"I am sure I will." I jumped into the pool and did something Sookie of a year ago…hell three months ago would have never done. I was skinny dipping and very seriously considering having 'pool' sex. Eric laughed at me and jumped in behind me. It was a great day, but at sunset my vampire went back to being a vampire and I was surprised that I had actually longed for his cool touch. As much as I loved him hot; he was my vampire and I loved him just the way he was.

**Bill POV**

I awoke to a cooing noise and giggling. I was sure I was dreaming as I looked and saw Sarah holding a baby by the fireplace. She was trying to feed her, but the tiny child was giggling and chanting "no no no" Sarah laughed and said,

"Okay baby, no more bananas we will try the mashed potatoes. Mmmm, these look yummy." I sat up and Sarah looked at me with a look I could not place. Was it concern, trepidation or fear? Surely she was not afraid of me, but why was there a baby in our room. Sarah walked to what I know to be a playpen. We had not had such things when my children were born, but I have seen them online before. She sat the child in the playpen and handed her several toys and a bottle of some sort. I looked at it in confusion and Sarah said,

"It's a Sippy cup; a special cups for babies. She can't spill it. She is the baby that Isabella told you all about last night. Allie was going to take her, but she couldn't and the next thing I knew I was saying that we would take her… William I don't know what I was thinking. I understand if this is deal breaker and you think we should turn her over to the state, but she is just so precious and she has never been loved, not really…" she was babbling.

I love it when she babbles. She was in love with this little baby girl that much was very obvious and if we were to have a life together this would be the only way we could ever have a child. I did not understand exactly how she got here, but I decide to ease Sarah's trouble heart.

"Love, everything is fine. Now slow down and start at the beginning." She explained Isabella's and Allie's involvement and who the child was. She then explained how Allie had showed up with her this morning and how she sent her to get all the supplies that seem to be overtaking our room. The child made her presence known with a happy squeal and I walked over to her little play area to pick her up. She studied me with curious eyes and reached out to hold onto my nose as I took her in my arms. She then babbled out,

"Dada" That one word pretty much sealed the deal that she was staying with us. She seemed very pleased as she reached to Sarah as I sat down on the bed with her. She then looked as if she understood this was a special moment and she cuddled up in our laps as she looked to Sarah and giggled "Mama" I knew that it was normal for all little babies to do this and that all men were dada and all women are mama, but the fact that she had called us that after just meeting us seemed like a sign from God that she was to be ours.

"Well, what is your name?"

"That is just it, we don't know. Isabella and Allie never heard either of them say her name."

"Well, let's have a look at you." I looked at her thoughtfully and then looked at my love. There were happy tears of relief and joy in her eyes. She was relieved I was happy we were on the same page and that I wanted the baby as much as she did. It was that moment that I knew exactly what we should name her.

"Elizabeth, we should name her Elizabeth after your sister."

"And we should let her middle name be Isabella since she saved her. Elizabeth Isabella Compton, yes that sounds perfect." She smiled and I loved that she immediately gave the child my last name. Elizabeth was clapping her hands as I swung her into my arms and asked her,

"Would you like to be Elizabeth Compton? Do you like that little one?" It was of course obvious that the baby was only happy and laughing because we were but I loved that she was clapping her little hands at her new name. I looked to Sarah and told her,

"We will have to hire help since you will be up late with me and you will be tired and need help during the day. We will look for a Nanny once we are home."

"Alright, I guess you are right. I do like staying up with you so it would be nice to have someone help us. William, are you sure about this?"

"No but I am sure about you. I love you and you love her, to be honest I think I do too. She must be part witch. She has bewitched me." I laughed as I pinched her little nose gently and she giggled out,

"Dada" again and Sarah smiled and said,

"She had you at dada didn't she?"

"Yep, pretty much."

"Me too, I melted this afternoon when she called me mama. I don't think… she was loved on very much. She really loves to be held, but it took her some getting used to at first. It was like she wasn't used to it. We will love her and make sure she is always loved, right?" She asked with hopeful eyes and I nodded in agreement as I asked,

"So what do my best girls want to do tonight?" Sarah was about to answer when she had a sudden look on her face like she remembered something important.

"Sookie called you earlier. Your cell phone was chirping and I saw that it was Sookie. I think she left a message but I didn't know your code or if you would even want me to check it for you."

"My code is Sarah; I changed it two nights ago and you can have anything that is mine, including my name." O_h hell did I say that?_

"William Thomas Compton, did you just ask me to marry you?" I loved that she knew my middle name; she must have seen it on my tombstone when I took her there the other night, I thought aimlessly as I tried to recover from the worst engagement request ever. I smiled and tried again.

"I think I did, but maybe I should do a better job than that. Sarah, my love and joy, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife, my bonded, my pledged, and one day when our little one is of age, will you join me in eternity?" I paused to see what she said yes to and what she would say no too.

"I would be honored to be bonded, pledged and married to you and one day it would be my joy to join you in eternity and have you be my maker." She smiled and I asked,

"Sarah, do you know what it means to be Pledged and Bonded?"

"No, but I assume it's some spooky vampire stuff that you will explain later right?" I laughed out loud as she picked up a now sleepy looking baby and walked to a bassinet. She laid our little angel down and turned back to me and said,

"Go check your messages and then if you are very quiet I'll let you play 'make your fiancé happy' while she sleeps." She giggled as she walked off to wash her face and get a glass of water while I fished for my cell phone to see what Sookie had wanted earlier.

Sookie answered on the second ring and once I filled her in she filled me in as well. She was excited that we had found Elizabeth and that she was safe. She was also happy for Sarah and me.

"Oh Bill, that's wonderful for you both." She went on to explain about the plane and everything that she needed. I told her we would be on our way tonight, but we would need to go to Bon Temp due to needing to get the baby settled before heading to her home for dinner. She reminded me to make sure the baby had a pacifier when we took off and when we landed to protect her little ear drums and I thanked her for the advice. Sarah took one look at my face and said,

"So we are going home?"

"Yes and I have to tell you a lot on the plane. Elizabeth has a sister. Belinda, Pam's girlfriend is the mother. The child is missing and we…"

"Well then we have to go. Our Elizabeth's family needs us so let's pack up the baby, our stuff and go." She went into momma mode and I thought, _'I could get used to this… family, my family."_

**SPOV**

"Well shit." I said as I hung up the phone and Eric looked at me and said,

"What Lover?"

"Bill is getting married and he has a baby."

"What?"

"I'll explain in the shower." I was half in shock and half thrilled beyond belief.

Eric was looking at me as with this strange expression on his face and I began to explain the situation to him. He looked very thoughtful for a moment and then he said,

"Well at least we know where Maggie's sister is at and that will help Belinda."

"How so?" I asked as he lathered my hair.

"So we can prove Joe Duggin was Maggie's father. He should be listed on the birth certificate as the baby's father for the child that Compton has taken in." He responded as he began to gently rinse my hair and stroke my body with the wash rag before he finished his thought, "So we prove he is that child's father then we can have a DNA test done on her so we can prove both girls have the same father. He is dead, so easy PTR."

"What is a PTR?" I asked as I enjoyed his long fingers running through my hair.

"It means Parental Termination of Rights we need one even if the adoptive mother turns Maggie over to Belinda, which of course is doubtful, we would still need to prove who the biological father was and that he has no claims on the child."

"OH, I guess I understand, even though Joe is dead we will need to prove he was Maggie's father and since he fathered the other little girl as well it will help us do that, right?" He nodded at my summation and I then asked, "How do you know that term?"

"I am over 1000 years old Sookie, I know things…" he laughed before somberly answering my question,

"Do you remember Ginger?"I nodded my head as I thought of the poor girl that the witches murdered to prove a point before he continued,

"She had a child and turned it over to the state. She had to sign one of these documents and she actually had Pam and I sign as her witnesses on the document. She had no one else." He explained with sadness in his voice as if he had wished he had done something differently or that he was mourning her in some small way. I didn't know what to say to that so I went back to the problem at hand and said,

"I hope it doesn't come to some huge court case for either of them. I just want us to find a way to handle all this internally without getting the system involved if possible. I mean, no court is going to take a baby away from the only mother she has ever known and on what planet would you give a baby to a vampire and the ex-wife of 'crazy' Steve Newlin?" I panicked slightly as I wondered even if we found Maggie could we ever help Belinda become part of her life.

"It will not come to that. Belinda's child was stolen from her; we will find a way to help the child transition and the adoptive parents as well. It is not like we will take the child from the only parents she has ever known. We will do what is right. As far as the other child goes I will call Cataliades and he will draw up a documentation that turns the child over to them; we will make the retroactive documents filed long ago making Sarah the guardian of the girl and we will push it though by next night fall. I will use my "king" card if I have to." I was surprised by the last part of his answer and just had to know,

"Why would you help Bill?"

"I won't help Bill, but it will help Belinda's child and I would be willing to help Sarah. We owe her one or two now. Not only did she aide you in my rescue but she took out the biggest thorn in my side. I was looking forward to you draining him though. I did not get any satisfaction out of his death but it was fun to watch you vaporize him." I should have been a little bit taken aback but he was getting more and more frank with me and I would honor his honesty although I would never get used to some of his views.

"You really wanted to watch me kill someone?" I asked as I took the soap from him and began to lather up his chest. He kissed me on top of my head as he responded,

"Not someone, just him! He hurt you, gave you to that monster Gabe, to rape. He knew what that sick fuck was going to do to you. He was probably held up outside the door ready to jerk off while it happened. I thank the Gods everyday Godfrey was there to rescue you." I shook at the memory of Gabe holding me down and ripping my clothes. Eric pulled me against his soapy body and whispered,

"I am sorry Lover. I did not mean to bring up such a horrible memory for you. I just wish you could have had your revenge."

"I don't need revenge. I have you. I know how safe I am now and it is due to you. Your love and your blood are what fuel my power and I can protect myself now, but I love that I have you to protect me too!" He held me close and whispered,

"I love you and would love to spend all night in here but we should hurry or we are going to miss the last dinner with the family for a while. They leave tomorrow." He walked underneath the water to rinse off his body and pulled me under with him as I responded,

"I know, but I'm not as upset as I was. I know I can pop to see them and they are going to be back in 2 months for the wedding. How do you feel about July 31st?"

"Whenever you want Lover; I will marry you tomorrow, tonight, or whenever you want." He smiled and I melted. I knew we need to get upstairs but I could not help but whisper,

"So you want to re-enact our first shower together?"

"Lover, you are playing with fire." He chided with amusement in his voice. I decided to up the anty and through our maker/child bond I called to him.

"Sookie, do you know what that does to me?"

"No my maker? What does it do to you?"

"This…" and he put my hand on his stiffness and I stroked him gently while sending the call to him yet again only this time I added my magic to it and released my scent. That was all it took, I was instantly up against the wall as he kissed his way down my body and back up my body. I was panting and he was cursing in Swedish as he lifted my leg and entered me with one powerful thrust. It wasn't one of our marathons but it was worth every dirty look I knew Pam was going to give me once I finally made it upstairs.

Eric pulled me from the shower and said,

"Wait right here Lover." When he returned from the hallway he had a long formal wear bag in his arms.

"Do me the great honor of wearing this tonight. I will be waiting upstairs for you." With vampire speed he was gone.

I opened the bag and my breath was taken away. It was this beautiful muted gold satin ballroom dress with golden beading and thread throughout the bodice with tiny pearl like beading sporadically down the gown to the bottom where it was trimmed out with the golden thread, beads and pearls. It was magnificent. There were no words to describe how beautiful this gown was. I slipped into it and did my hair half up with the rest cascading down my back, the dress simply called for my hair to look like this. I applied some makeup, a little more than I normally did but I had a feeling this was more than a normal family dinner.

When I came out of the elevator Pam, Belinda and Eric were there waiting for me in VERY similar outfits. They were stunning. Pam's was short and fitted to her body. Belinda's was long like mine but fitted like Pam's and very much looked just like her style. Eric was in a tunic like jacket that matched ours with darker golden/tan colored pant that fit him just right. God I had just had him and I wanted him again. I smiled at him as he realized I was lusting after him. I was the first to speak,

"Alright, now that we are all so gorgeously dressed, does someone want to tell me why?"

"It is an old ceremony that I want us to take part in, but only if you are comfortable with it. I have spoken with Pam and Belinda; they are alright with it. It is a ceremony in which we will become a true nest." I knew immediately what I had to be comfortable with, blood. There would be blood involved and I was going to have to drink from not only him, but Pam and Belinda.

"What all is involved?"

"It is very much like the pledging ceremony, but the blood must be taken… from the source." Leave it to Eric to say 'you have to bite your best friends' with something so delicately worded as 'taken from the source'." I could tell that it meant a great deal to Eric. I could also tell it meant the world to Pam and Belinda.

"Are you sure you are okay with Eric and I biting her?" I asked Pam. I knew that Eric would probably, even if only momentarily, want to rip Pam's head off the moment her fangs touched my skin.

"Yes, I have given it great thought. I will be fine. It will bind us and keep us safe. We already share a bond and this will seal it." I thought about it and asked,

"Okay, I think. I have one question and no offense, but… no sex right?" I mean Belinda is technically my cousin and while I am from the south, I am not that far south. Besides no matter how hot Pam and Belinda are my gate door don't swing that way. Eric was laughing at my inner monologue and answered,

"No Lover, I can never share you with another." Belinda however started humming the song from "Deliverance" and told me "You sure have a purty mouth" to which I just replied, "EWWW!" Pam didn't get the reference so we had to explain and she then said she wanted to see the movie as soon as possible. Once that was over Eric went onto explain the ceremony and what all was involved. I advised him that I wanted to do it once everyone left and that I only wanted Laurell, Marcus, Lillianna and Alexander present. He readily agreed, as did Belinda and Pam.

We walked into the den together and I realized just about everyone was here. Marcus and Laurell were talking to Sven and Livy. Bobby and Evelyn were sitting nearby and seemed to be listening to the conversation with interest. Lillianna and Alexander were talking to Niall and Christean in a hushed tone and I thought it was probably about Maggie. Sophie-Anne, Remy and Hadley were playing a game on the floor with Hunter whose head popped up as soon as he heard Eric speak and say hello to everyone.

"Uncle Erwic!" Eric went to join the game with Hunter.

I realized it had been over an hour and a half since I talked to Bill on the phone when I heard the door bell ring. I went to the door and there stood my ex-boyfriend with his fiancé and their new baby. This was going to be one hell of a dinner party. It was Sarah who broke the ice and she did it with the grace of a Southern Belle, she used the baby.

"Say hello to your Auntie Sookie. She is a very nice lady; you are going to love her." She cooed to the little girl in her arms. The baby actually favored Bill and Sarah; the word 'fate' spun around in my head as I looked at her. I wondered how much she favored Maggie. I watched Belinda walk toward them and once again it was Sarah, who said just the right thing,

"Elizabeth, this is your sister's mommy. This is Aunt Belinda you have to give her kisses until sissy is home." The little girl clapped her hands happily as she lunged for Belinda and grabbed her nose. She giggled and laughed as Belinda's eyes teared up. Belinda held the baby and said,

"I wonder how much she favors Maggie. Do you think they will look much alike?"

"I bet they have some things in common." I soothed. Christean moved to Belinda's side and as we explained their connection he soothed her and whispered,

"You will not have to wait as long as I did. We have located the attorney and we were able to obtain this picture. Apparently the adoptive mother had no idea what the attorney did. She still sends pictures of Maggie to Brandt. Here, this is her most recent picture." Belinda reached for the picture as Sarah reached for Elizabeth, but it was Sarah, who reacted to the picture,

"Oh my God, that is Maggie Jo! That is my hairdresser's daughter!" Well hell, can we have any more surprises. _'Shit did I really just think that? Nothing good ever happens after I think that!'_

**Translation from above: ****Min älskare, min fru ... Jag älskar dig forver = My Lover, my wife... I love you forever.**

**A/N: and you all wondered why I did not let Eric kill Sarah off 6 chapters ago… dum dum dum… that is why… Momma Minion is always up to something! **_**Remember that Momma loves you and when you review it makes me smile.**_** It will be a couple of days before I respond though. I am on pirated internet right now! Ha-Ha… Just joking my neighbor was nice enough to help me out since ours is still out. I love my island, but sometimes it is a PAIN! HUGS **

** now review please**


	45. Chapter 45 Dinner Parties and Promises

**Chapter 45 – Dinner Parties and Promises **

**A/N: HUGE **shout out to my baby minions and one in particular who has been with me from the beginning a certain** gnrclln**; you will see when! **I love you and it will be NEXT Wednesday** before I post **Chapter 46**. I am going to the island and I am not EVEN going to try to worry with the internet problems going on down there. I love my content editor** KJWRIT** and my beloved BETA and partner in crime **Sassyvampmama**!

_**LAST TIME: (Sarah and Bill take in the orphaned Elizabeth, who happens to be Belinda's daughter's half sister. Belinda runs a mysterious errand for Eric. Sookie contemplate all their futures while baking. Eric wakes without Sookie's help in the afternoon and surprises Sookie with his friend 'Thor'. They prepare for the final family dinner party for a while and Eric surprises Sookie with a special dress and ceremony for Pam, Belinda, Sookie and himself to become a true nest. Upon Sarah and Bill's arrival; Sarah has a revelation that surprises everyone including herself.)**_

**SPOV**

**I realized it had been over an hour since I talked to Bill on the phone when I heard the door bell ring. I went to the door and there stood my ex-boyfriend with his fiancé and their new baby. This was going to be one hell of a dinner party. It was Sarah who broke the ice and she did it with the grace of a Southern Belle, she used the baby.**

"**Say hello to Auntie Sookie. She is a very nice lady; you are going to love her." She cooed to the little girl in her arms. The baby actually favored Bill and Sarah; the word, fate spun around in my head as I looked at her. I wondered how much she favored Maggie. I watched Belinda walk toward them and once again it was Sarah, who said just the right thing,**

"**Elizabeth, this is your sister's mommy. This is Aunt Belinda you have to give her kisses until sissy is home." The little girl clapped her hands happily as she lunged for Belinda and grabbed her nose. She giggled and laughed as Belinda's eyes teared up. Belinda held the baby and said,**

"**I wonder how much she favors Maggie. Do you think they will look much alike?"**

"**I bet they have some things in common." I soothed. Christean moved to Belinda's side as we explained the connection he soothed her and whispered,**

"**You will not have to wait as long as I did. We have located the attorney and we were able to obtain this picture. Apparently the adoptive mother had no idea what the attorney did. She still sends pictures of Maggie to Brandt. Here, this is her most recent picture." Belinda reached for the picture as Sarah reached for Elizabeth it was Sarah who reacted to the picture,**

"**Oh my God, that is Maggie Jo! That is my hairdresser's daughter!" well hell, can we have any more surprises. **_**'Shit did I really just think that? Nothing good ever happens after I think that!'**_

**EPOV**

"How do you know this child?" I demanded. I did not fully understand the term hairdresser. I did think I had heard Pam make mention of it before but my understanding of the term was coiffeur.

"She is my friend's daughter; it is a really sad story. My friend, Mary Jo adopted the little girl when she was just a few weeks old and she loves her so much, but my friend is dying. She has cancer and it is terminal. She actually asked me if I would think of being Maggie Jo's guardian, but I knew I couldn't do that with Steve being like he was… Oh my stars… she is your Maggie." Sarah gasped as she turned back to Belinda.

"Are you sure this is the same child?" I demanded not wanting Belinda to get her hopes up. Sarah turned to me and said,

"I am positive. Number one, she is wearing a dress I bought her in that picture. Number two, my friend Mary Jo, named her Maggie because that is what the birth mom named her. That was all she knew, the only information she had about the baby when she received her. She was wrapped up in a tiny little blanket that had the name 'Maggie' hand sown on it."

"I made that for her. She was supposed to be buried with it." Belinda whispered as I wished we could kill Joe again.

"Do you think she would be willing to meet with me?" Belinda asked with uncertainty in her voice.

"I think she would be relieved that you can take care of her. She is getting worse and won't be able to care for her for much longer. She is so weak from all the chemo… she tried so hard to beat it, but it just keeps coming back on her and… well, it is almost time. She called me about a week ago." We all just stood there as Belinda held the picture she showed it to Elizabeth and said,

"This is your sister. We are going to bring her home to us." Sookie had a strange look on her face as she smiled and then looked to me with a sweet look. I couldn't decipher it and she was blocking me, but I knew she had a plan and it was going to be a good one.

Belinda looked at the time and said, "As much as I want you to call them right now, it's too late. Maggie is probably asleep and if your friend is as sick as you say, she probably is too." I was proud of how pragmatic my littlest nest mate was being even though it was killing her to be this close and yet so far from her daughter.

"So this Mary, she loves my Maggie?"

"With all her heart," Sarah advised.

"What about a father?"

"Mary Jo was a widow who never wanted to remarry. She has no family and she married young. She was 20 when she got married and then he died in a car accident when she was 28. She wanted a baby, so she adopted as a single mom. It was hard but all of a sudden she found this attorney who said he could help her. She had to come up with money, a lot of money, but she had it from the life insurance policy her husband had on himself through his work. So she pulled it out and paid. I don't think she knew… I mean she is the type of person… she could NOT have lived with knowing she stole a child." Niall chose then to speak.

"She did not know. We know this from the documentation that we have been able to find. While the birth certificate she has is real the adoption papers are not. The child is not hers, not legally anyway."

"I know that I am part of this family now and my allegiance is to all of you, but… you aren't just going to take her are you? It will destroy Mary Jo…"Her declaration touched me and I could feel it touched Sookie as well but it was Belinda that spoke.

"No. We will not do that." Belinda advised, "We will have you call her and explain everything. We will have you set up a meeting with her and us. We will have our attorneys draw up papers making Pam and I legal guardians of Maggie until her…demise." I had never been prouder of my little angel than I was in this moment. Sookie then spoke and I finally knew what the smile was all about.

"I have an idea. I think you and Pam should move into the Bon Temps house and raise Maggie there so she will be near her sister. Also, the house is big enough that if Mary Jo wanted to she could move in as well so she would have people there to take care of her. So she won't have to be alone in her final days and it will allow you and Maggie to bond." It was a great idea. How had I not seen this? It was the perfect idea and plan, so of course my beloved had come up with it. I looked to Sarah, who said,

"She was looking into hospice. It would be so nice if I could look after her."

"I would of course help you. You have a baby to look after." Belinda offered. To which Compton chimed in… I know I am supposed to like him now, but I DO NOT!

"We are to hire a day time Nanny. This would free Sarah up somewhat, but I would not want her to take on the roll by herself. I fear she would run herself in the ground."

"I will pay for a healthcare worker to come in and help." I said and he thankfully shut the hell up. By the gods I hate to hear his voice. I was telling one of my Twitter friends, gnrclln about how irritating he generally has been over the last year, and gnrclln came up with the perfect name for him; 'The Talking Ass'.

"William, we're going to get it all worked out and you have to quit treating me like a piece of glass. I'm capable of telling you, or anyone for that matter, if and when I'm tired. Now, take Liza Bell for me while I warm up some milk for her." She turned to Sookie and requested use of the microwave. The chipper Sarah was somehow endearing herself to me even more by helping me quiet Compton.

**SPOV**

"She likes her milk warm." Sarah offered as she walked with me into the kitchen and I knew there was something more on her mind than warming milk. She was deep in thought and she didn't know where to begin so she just blurted out,

"William told me about how… what happened in Jackson. Sookie he is so haunted by it; he didn't mean to hurt you. He will always care for you and well, you will never know what this second chance means to him Sookie. Not only to have a second chance at a family with me, but gaining your forgiveness too. You letting him come back to your home tonight just means so much. He told me how… well that he had been banned after Eric found out what happened. I just wanted to say thank you. He wants to say something but he is afraid to make too big of a deal out of it."

"To be honest Sarah that is probably best. The less he brings that up the safer he is; Eric will never forget and he… I'm afraid if anything ever happens to me… even if it is not Bill's fault… Eric will go after Bill. If I ever die Sarah, you take Bill and that baby and you run until Belinda or Pam say it is safe to come back. Do you understand?"

"Would he hurt me or the baby?" she asked with disbelief in her voice. I would have loved to answer no, but I have seen and felt his dark side. I know all too well what he is capable of if pushed into a corner or what would happen if he was grieving.

"No not on purpose, but if you got in his way when he was going after Bill… he might. If his pain was too deep and if our bond is ever broken; it would be deep." I admitted as I thought of the night Eric found out Bill had raped me in the trunk of that car.

"Thank you Sookie. I will do whatever I have to do to protect my family."

"As will I, Sarah." With that one short conversation finished, I think we understood each other. She would never fully trust me or Eric with Bill's life and I would never fully trust her or Bill with Eric's, but I knew she loved Bill and she knew I loved Eric. Our love for our men bonded us in some weird way. Our men each had their own agendas, ones that involved keeping us feeling loved, safe and happy. If they had to run through the other to keep us safe then that is what they would do but until then, they would play nice. Sarah and I were much the same, but just not as aggressive. I then thought how we were two sides of the same coin and as I thought this she voiced it.

"It's funny isn't Sookie? How our lives have turned out and how intertwined they are. On what planet should we ever be sisters in arms and friends? How am I in love with a vampire and how are you a Queen? This has been a crazy year and it isn't even half over." She said this in a low tone and I nodded in agreement.

"Sarah, I know that Bill is your priority and you know that Eric is mine. I know that you would die for Bill and I would die for Eric. I also know that we don't and probably won't ever fully trust each other where they're concerned, but I would like for us to be friends. I really would." She nodded and drew in a deep breath as she admitted,

"You're right, I would die for William. I can't ever live without him now that I know him, and you can't live without Eric, so I say we put it all behind us, look to the future and be on the same team whether the boys are or not." And that was how a pack of sorts was formed between the Queen of Louisiana and the former Mrs. Steve Newlin.

When we walked back into the den everyone was getting settled when Jason finally graced us with his presence. I swear that boy is gonna be the death of me. He came sashaying in with this girl and I swear I thought I was gonna kill him she looked so young.

"So Jason, who is your friend?" I asked with annoyance in my voice. Number one he had brought a stranger here and number two I was pretty sure she was underage.

"Oh Sook, that's right y'all ain't met yet. This here is Jessica Hamby my best girl." He chimed in all his smoothness.

"Well, it is lovely to meet you Jessica. Please make yourself at home; I need to speak with Jason in private for a moment, if you will please excuse us." I was pulling him from the room and he was about to protest when Niall shook his head no at him as if to notate for him not to cause a scene. Laurell on the other hand was looking as if she was ready to spit nails at both of them. I drug him from the room into the kitchen and laid into him.

"Where the hell have you been? And where did that girl come from? How old is she? I swear Jason if she so much as takes her shoes off in your truck you are going to jail; if she's as young as she looks. Have you lost your mind?" He looked at me with his deer in the headlights imitation before answering me slowly.

"Well, I have been spending a lot of time in Faery with Niall if you must know and he introduced me to Jessica. She has a little faery in her too and for your information she is 20 years old. God Sook, I may be a horn dog but I ain't ever hurt nobody… I mean I may have broken a heart or two, but I wouldn't take advantage of a young girl."

"Jason, she is a young girl. You are 28. She is 20. I swear if you hurt her…"

"What if she hurt me? Damn Sook, we're supposed to be on the same side." He truly did look forlorn and that surprised me.

"What do you mean what if she hurts you?"

"I think I'm fallin' for her Sook. She's wonderful; she's so sweet and funny. I'm happy when I am with her and I miss her when we're apart. Sook, I ain't even slept with her yet. We've been together for a while now off and on, but we just decided to be exclusive recently." Wow now that shocked me.

"What happened to Crystal?"

"Sookie, me and Crystal broke up a long time ago. I thought you knew that."

"The other night when Calvin came to help me get Eric back I thought he was talking to you about her?"

"He was. He's trying to get me to mate with her. It's weird… it's a pack thing."

"So let me get this straight; you are dating Jessica, the girl Niall set you up with, but you may have to mate with Crystal, the girl your pack master has chosen for you." I said as a statement but meant as a question.

"Yep, that is pretty much it. Jessica knows what is going on and she of course is not happy with it, but I don't see a way clear of it if Calvin really puts his foot down. I mean I could involve Grand daddy Niall but he has a full plate with the kingdom and all. You and Eric could help too but I wouldn't want Calvin to think I was pulling a power play on him. I just want clear of it and I honestly don't see a way." It was the most cohesive statement I had ever heard come out of Jason Stackhouse's mouth. I was running scenarios over in my mind when I said,

"Jason, you just take care of Jessica and leave the rest to me." He left me in the kitchen as Pam came back in to check on dinner. We were getting close to set down time when I picked up my cell phone and called Calvin Norris. When he answered I dove right in as Eric and Pam now stood and listened.

"Calvin, this is Sookie Northman, what do I have to do to get my brother out of your pack or at least out of having to mate with Crystal?"

"Sookie, you have to understand, our pack numbers are dwindling down and he needs to add to the pack."

"He's in love, really in love for the first time in his life, I won't let you or anyone else take this from him. If I have to sign a decree as Queen of Louisiana to make him off limits I will or if I have to sign a decree as Sookie Brigant Northman, Princess of all Faery to make him off limits I will. Calvin, he is all I have left of my human family and I won't have him miserable." I could feel pride and lust coming from Eric and Pam was just impressed that I was willing to throw my weight around to get something that I wanted.

"Sookie, he is part of our pack."

"Only because he was attacked by someone in your pack it was no doing of his own! I never took retribution for his attack and it was a blood offense. I was then and am now PRINCESS OF ALL FAERY and if I am pushed I will call for what is mine."

"I killed that boy myself for what he did to Jason so don't you go get all high and mighty on me young lady. If your Gran could hear you yelling at me like this when I am backed into a corner she'd be plum ashamed…"

"It would behoove you Calvin to leave my Gran out of this."

"You're right Sookie that was a low blow, but we need Jason to strengthen our blood line."

"He is in love with Jessica. He wants a normal life and if that means breaking ties with your pack I am going to help him do that. Tray Dawson is a friend of Alcide's and he doesn't run with a pack so I know it can be done. What does Jason have to do to break ties and get out of this?"

"He just has to stay out of Hot Shot. If he gets in trouble too bad, he can't call on us for help."

"He won't need it; he has me and mine to back him. I only involved you the other night because Jason wanted to go and I did it out of respect for you as his pack leader. I think you saw how well equipped I am to handle any situation." I said with little or no emotion in my voice. He was pushing my buttons and that was not like Calvin at all.

"Sookie, you can always call on me. You will always be a friend of the pack, but if he wants to cut ties then on the full moon he can't run and hunt with us and he can't expect us to have his back in a fight automatically. I am not saying we wouldn't back him up, but it just wouldn't be a given anymore like it is now." He explained and that made me feel somewhat better.

"That is fine. I will explain everything to him and I will let the decision be his. Thank you Calvin, goodnight."

**EPOV**

"Lover you were exquisite. The way you told that cat off was wonderful." She truly was an excellent queen.

"He brought up my Gran and said she would have been ashamed of me now." She said as if she was putting weight into the thought.

"No, she could never be ashamed of you," I paused for a moment before continuing, "she would be proud of how brave and furiously you take care of your family. You have nothing to be ashamed of… absolutely nothing at all." From what I knew of her grandmother I knew all this to be true.

"I dreamed the other night that you met her. I dreamed I met you first and you saved us from Rene. You didn't let him kill her. I dreamed she was alive." She began to weep and my heart, as always broke when she cried.

"Lover, you must not do that, you can drive yourself insane thinking about 'what if only' this and that. I have done it to myself before, what if I had only stayed with Aunna that night instead of being on the road where Ocella found me. What if I had been faster and kept Lars from being taken? What if I had told Aude to lay down more when she was pregnant with the last baby? What if I had been home more? Trust me, my wife; no good can come of it." I pleaded but her tears still fell and Pam was wise to close the kitchen door and went out to check on everyone herself.

"But Eric, we were fated! Why didn't I find you first? Why did I have to get hurt over and over? Why did all those bad things happen to everyone I love? Why are my momma and daddy dead? They will never see our babies. Why did Gran have to die? Why did she have to die like that? I know that she was older and that no one is promised tomorrow, but she was so good and he stabbed her over and over and over…" she was sobbing uncontrollably and it was then I realized she had never dealt with the death of her parents or her grandmother properly, so I let her keep talking.

"She deserved to die in her sleep, all peaceful and surrounded by people that loved her, not all alone… she was all alone and afraid. She fought so hard to survive. I saw her hands. She tried to fight him off- she did Eric, she really did… they were all cut up… she wanted to live… she tried…it should have been me…" she pulled her entire body up me and into my arms. I held her as close as I possibly could.

"And Jason… he shouldn't be a were panther. He should just get to be plan ole Jason… Plain ole silly irresponsible Jason. He should get to get married, have babies and drink too much on Friday nights. He shouldn't have to even utter the sentence 'I have to add to the pack.' This is all so fucked up… this isn't the way it's supposed to be. You were supposed to find me, when Laurell asked you to, I can feel it in my bones and Fintan's stupid magic spell hid me… but if he would have just left it alone… you would have found me and everything would be different. You would be fighting with daddy over you being good enough to date me let alone marry me and Momma would jump in and tell him to 'hush up and leave you be' and Gran would be asking you all sorts of silly history questions that make no sense… she loved history…" and she broke and wept and wept until Laurell walked into the kitchen and took her from me.

"Laurell, what do we do?"

"Just take turns holding her. I wondered when this knowledge would make itself known to her. Fintan was a good man and he thought he was protecting her. He had no idea what would happen to her without someone to protect her. Now that we know you are her fated, well, I believe everything she just said is true." Sookie was sighing and attempting to calm herself as Laurell stroked her hair and cooed to her.

Marcus walked in the kitchen momentarily, but Laurell sent him a silent message as he nodded and walked back out. I heard him telling everyone dinner would be delayed for about 30 minutes so I took Sookie back from Laurell and went to our resting chamber. Sitting on the couch in front of the bed, I rocked her while humming to her the song that I used to sing to Aunna and she finally looked up at me with a small smile and said,

"I love that song. I love you. I'll be okay in a minute. It's just a lot to process." I kissed her gently and whispered,

"I love you too my wife and all will be well. One day many millenniums from now we will go to Valhalla together and I will meet all those that you have loved." I did not believe in an afterlife but she did and I knew it would soothe her and it did. I felt her quiet through the bond and once she was breathing normally, I pulled her up so that she would not fall asleep. She nodded before getting up and walking to the bathroom to freshen up her face and hair.

When we came up the elevator it would seem there was more drama as Laurell had Niall cornered and she did not seem happy.

**SPOV**

I was hoping to have a nice quiet dinner after my break down and then a sweet nest-bonding ceremony but that was not to be. As we walked into the kitchen I saw that Laurell and Niall were in a heated conversation as she said through her teeth,

"You are no better than the Werepanther demanding he add to the pack! Don't you think for one minute it had slipped by me just how much Fae that girl has in her. Does she know? Does she know you want a baby out of their coupling and that you're hoping it has the spark that missed Jason?"

"What is wrong with me wanting him to be with a nice girl?"

"He thinks he is in love with her Niall! Did you tell him he feels pulled toward her because she is Faery? Did you tell him that?" she demanded and I felt sick.

"Niall, what have you done?" I then demanded.

"Yes, I told him while we were last in Faery that he would be drawn to others that were Faery, and yes, I told him that I would love for him to marry and have children with a woman that could bear a child to the clan that was mostly faery. But I didn't make any demands or ultimatums and I did not pressure him. I learned my lesson with Lillianna. She still won't look at me… I lost her I will not make the same mistake with Jason."

"You didn't lose me. You never lost me. I thought you didn't love me anymore after you gave me to Preston. I cried and begged you not to make me be with him, but you just left me there crying. I thought you cared more about the clan than me, your granddaughter." Lillianna had walked in at some point and finally spoke to Niall about the white elephant in the room for over 5 centuries.

"I am so sorry little one. I am so sorry."

"I love my Christean and I would not give the world for him, so for that the coupling was worth it, but I will always wish he was Alexander's"

"But he could not have given you babies. He was already vampire." Niall offered.

"There was a way. You know there was… with faery magic there is always a way. At least Preston came to me in Alexander's form that night. He had his every mannerism down and he even sounded like him. He was always such a good friend. He must have followed and listened to Alex for days, maybe even weeks to get all of it down. He had me fooled almost, until he touched me and he was warm." She broke off and looked away from us as tears gathered in her eyes. Alexander was next into the room with a fury on his face as he saw her tears. His fangs descended as he looked to Niall and growled out,

"What now? What have you done now? Formally disowned her as her no-account father did?"

"Don't speak of Dermott in that way." Laurell said quietly before continuing, "He was wrong to do that to her, but please don't speak of him like that. He was such a tenderhearted boy. I think he thought if he did that she would leave you and be happy in Faery. He was afraid to lose her."

"So he threw her away? Yes that makes so much more sense!" Alexander was angry and it was coming off him in waves, so I tried to defuse the situation by laying my hand on Alexander's as I turned to Lillianna and said,

"Okay, so Niall is sorry and he loves you. You love him and forgive him… on some level… and we will deal with Dermott if we ever find him." I then turned to Niall and continued, "As far as Jason goes, he is free to date whomever he chooses and he is not confined to any "bearing of children" either to us or Were-panthers. He is free." I had not realized my voice had changed until I saw their faces and Eric decreed,

"So says the Queen, so let it be done." And he bowed to me. _'God I love this man, good touch Viking, good touch' I thought with a smile._

So after that little fiasco, dinner was nice and quiet. We laughed and talked and I decided I would try to get to know Jessica a little better, so I asked her all the normal questions.

"Where are you from, who are your parents and what do you do?" She was from Minton this little town in between Shreveport and Bon Temps. Her parents were Tommy and Jolene Hamby, who just both happened to be ½ Fae and ¼ Fae respectively. She had known all her life about faery, vampire and shifters so she was about 17 years ahead of the curve for the rest of the human race. The best part was that she was an out of work Nanny.

She was looking for something in the morning and mid afternoon so she could go to school at night. I saw Bill and Sarah exchange a look and then Sarah started asking her questions. About 20 minutes later somewhere between the last course and dessert, the Compton's had a new Nanny. She was brought up to speed on Maggie as well and she was certain she could look after both girls with no problem at all. She had worked for a couple from the time she was 18 until about 2 months ago that had triplets. The mom had decided to stay home with them when her husband got a promotion and that is how Jessica lost her job. She gave Sarah her reference, but I saw her look at me and I nodded as I slipped into Jessica's head.

'_Gosh this would be great. I hope they hire me. It would be great to have two little girls to keep. It is so much easier than just one. When there are two they are each other's playmate and all I have to do is come up with cool crafts and games…'_ it went on and on like that, how much fun they would have and how much she loved toddlers and babies. She wondered if I had any kids and how old they were, but Jason had not mentioned nephews or nieces. She had not picked up on Eric being a vampire. That always confuses me. She knew that Pam and Bill were and did not have a problem with vampires at all. She thought it was cool, not cool enough to ever be one, but cool none the less. I voiced my conclusion to Sarah.

"I think this will work out just great. Maggie and Elizabeth will have a great time with you!" That was all the 'code' it took for Sarah to take my meaning and hire Jessica on the spot. Dessert was a big hit and Hunter was on his second helping of ice cream and brownies when Elizabeth looked to his plate and giggled out,

"More… more…" Hunter looked embarrassed as we all realized he had been 'sneaking' her bites of brownies while no one was looking. Bill smiled at Hunter and said,

"How many times?"

"Just three times Mr. Bill, I promise."

"It is alright, I can't tell a pretty lady no either." Realizing he was not in trouble Hunter smiled and hopped down out of his seat to go to Eric but not before kissing Elizabeth on the cheek. She giggled happily as she reached for his cheek with her chubby little hand and babbled out what I think was supposed to be his name, but sounded more like 'unt' than Hunter.

Hunter was obviously conspiring with Eric over something, but I was not sure what until I heard Eric laugh out and say,

"Not tonight little man, your Aunt Sookie and I have something very special to talk to Aunt Pam and Aunt Belinda about."

"What?" he asked inquisitively and I waited to see what Eric would or would not say in front of the others.

"Well, you know that the four of us have an unusually tight bond, do you not?"

"Yes, I can see it and hear it in…" before Hunter said 'your heads' Eric cut him off in an effort to keep anyone from know that Hunter could hear vampires.

"Yes, I know in Aunt Sookie's and Aunt Belinda's heads, well we, the four of us have decided to do a special ceremony and make our bond official. We will become a true nest."

"Why can't I be part of it? Is it a secret club or is it 'cause I'm too wittle?"

"It is because you are too young. One day it will be my great honor to have you in my nest if you so wish." He offered.

"Do I have to be a vampire?"

"No." Eric smiled at him and tousled his hair much to Hunter's amusement. Elizabeth was showing a great interest in Eric. She was squealing and reaching for him to the point that Sarah passed her to Eric. Eric was unfazed by being handed the infant; he simply bounced her in his lap as she reached for his hair. She loved his hair too, but really, what woman didn't? Hunter was still staring at Eric and was in deep thought as he finally said,

"Okay then, I think I have decided to stay human, but I have lots and lots of years to decide is what Aunt Sophie says." It was then that Remy and Hadley joined in,

"You and Aunt Sophie have talked about becoming a vampire?" they asked him but looked to Sophie-Anne who looked bored by the conversation as she usually did.

"Yes, he saw it in your head that you are going to be turned and he had questions. He came to me because I always tell him the truth. You only have yourselves to blame for that, the way you coddle the boy. He is so mature and he is Faery. He is, of course, going to need more information than a normal 5 year old would. He is very smart and he has handled all of the information well." She gave him a look of a co-conspirator as she smiled her trade mark smile and went back to drinking her blood.

That was the end of that conversation and it was apparent that the others were trying to get out of the way now that they knew we were to be bonded as a nest. Sarah was collecting a now sleeping Elizabeth from Eric as Bill actually congratulated Pam which caused her to roll her eyes at him as she said,

"Why thank you Bill. I know that _you know_ how much that means to me." Belinda elbowed her for her rudeness, but I understood that Pam and Eric would never accept or like Bill, and to be honest it was alright with me.

I would never like Sophie-Anne they way they did either so I understood where they were coming from to be honest. Sophie-Anne had sent Bill to 'acquire' me as if I were a sofa and I don't think I will ever get over her instigation of my betrayal by Bill Compton. Some wounds just won't heal; they scab over and you think they are gone until you think on them too hard. Then the scab comes off and you realize there's a big ole infection right underneath the surface of your skin. _Maybe I don't like Bill as much as I think I do either, oh well, I'll think on that another night. _That thought that floated through my head but I decided that tonight was not the night to go diggin' up bones. Tonight I was going to be bonded with my mate and best friends forever and just like that I was happy again.

Jason, Jessica, Bill and Sarah headed out together with Jessica carrying Elizabeth to the car. I was actually happy that had all worked out. Sven and Livy were still talking with Evelyn and Bobby; they left together and I honestly did not want to know. I know that Evelyn and Bobby were swingers and that was how they met Jonathan, but good Lord he had just beat the crap out of her and betrayed them last week. Oh well, once again, I'll worry on it another night. Remy, Hadley and Sophie-Anne headed out with a very sleepy Hunter. I pulled Hadley aside because curiosity had the better of me and asked,

"What is up with you, Remy and Sophie-Anne?"

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"No."

"I love them both and they are working around that for me."

"You are dating them both?"

"Dating, really Sookie are we 12? I can't live without her and I can't give him up again now that I have him back. I love them both. They are getting along wonderfully and we are going to make it work for Hunter. He loves having all of us."

"So, do you and Remy and Sophie…?"

"No, not that I'll rule it completely out, but no that has not happened yet… Remy is old fashioned and this in and of itself is really outside his comfort zone. But I have noticed that when she reaches to hold his hand he lets her and he even hugs her now when she moves in for one. I honestly don't know what will happen, but I'm happy and I'm going to do everything in my power to stay that way because it makes Hunter so happy. He can see in my head how happy I am and I want to stay that way for him. So I will do whatever it takes to make it work." I could tell she had given it all great thought and she was right about Hunter. He loved that his mommy and daddy were together and he adored Sophie-Anne. He had had little snippets into her mind and he had seen that she loved him.

I chose that moment to dip into Sophie-Anne's mind as she held a sleeping Hunter in her arms and I was relieved at what I found.

'_Oh little one, I love you so much. I love you like I love my Andre and the twins- just like if I was your maker. How is that possible? I will always love and protect you. I will put you first in every decision I make…'_ it went on and on just like that. I looked back at Hadley and said,

"I'm glad you are finally happy and settled. I love you Hadley, I love you." She smiled as she hugged me and walked back to join her family and I went off in search of mine.

Pam, Belinda, and Eric were in the den with Marcus, Laurell, Lillianna and Alexander and they were in a deep conversation about how the room should be set up and how we should proceed. Belinda was nervous. Pam was excited. Eric was feeling very reverent as if he was ready to pray, which was weird since to my knowledge he does not pray. Marcus is hard for me to read and he knows when I am doing it, but I gave it a go. He turned around as I tried and shook his head no as he said,

"Just ask me. I will never lie to you."

"Do you think this is a good idea… the nest thing?"

"Yes. I have enjoyed being in one with my nest mates here. Once your Viking was in my nest as well it is a good thing." He smiled and gave me that grandpa pat on the head that makes me giggle like a ten year old. I went on with my check and saw that Gammy thought it was a good idea as well. Alexander was thinking he wanted to get Lillianna alone and naked. I had just enough time to jump out of his head and see Lillianna give him a look that let me know without looking exactly what she was thinking. She wanted her man. He had gone 'caveman' earlier in her defense and I remembered from a past conversation what that did to her so I knew better than to check her head. I knew that they would want to leave as soon as possible.

Marcus had put on the same ceremonial black cloak that he had worn at our Pledging Ceremony, Eric and Laurell were busy lighting all of the candles, while Belinda fidgeted with her dress and Pam tried to make her feel less nervous by kissing her hand. It was then that I decided Belinda should go first, knowing it would put her at ease and she would be able to enjoy the rest of the evening. When Eric was through, he came to me and I voiced my thought. He agreed and once he went over to talk to Pam about it, she and Belinda were in agreement as well.

Eric took four chairs from the dining room and put them into the den before walking to Belinda and seating her in the first chair. He then placed Pam in the second, me in the third and took the last seat for himself. We remained seated while Marcus and Laurell finished preparing the ceremony. Marcus took a step forward and said,

"Let us begin. Who comes before us to become one nest?" Eric and Pam rose as they took our hands and stood us along with them. It was Eric, who answered,

"We do."

"Do you all enter into this bond willingly?" This time we all answered,

"We do." Belinda and I were catching on quite well I thought. Marcus smiled and said,

"By entering into this bond and becoming a nest you are committing your existence to each other. You are stating before us that you are willing to kill or be killed for your nest mates. You will hold no others in higher council than your nest mates. You will give them shelter when they have need and freedom when they wish, but you will always be one no matter where your travels take you or how far from home you roam; you will be one. Do you understand the commitment that you are entering into?" I answered first,

"Yes I do, I willingly enter into this nest." I wasn't sure if that was right but Belinda and Pam worded their answers much the same as me. Eric's was a little different as he said,

"I enter into this commitment as the protector of this nest. I will protect my mate, my child and her bonded with my existence and I will never leave or forsake them. I will be their protector, friend and advisor. I will never put my needs over theirs." I felt my eyes clouding over and was surprised to see Pam's eyes looking a little pink around the rims.

She laid her head over onto Eric's shoulder and it was the sweetest thing I think I have ever seen Pam do. Their maker/child bond was stronger than any I had ever seen, it was something I could sense from the very beginning, but committing to each other in this way brought their connection to a whole new deeper level. The profound feelings of respect and devotion that flowed between them was almost a visible entity in the room and was only made stronger as Eric took her into his arms physically connecting them both. It was Marcus, who spoke again,

"Now that you have all verbally committed to one another it is time to seal the commitment with your blood offering to one another. We will be leaving as this is a private moment between you and your nest mates." And for the first time tonight I was nervous.

Eric turned to Belinda and took her wrist giving her a little smile and when she nodded he kissed her pulse point and then he bit. She gasped a little as he only took a sip and then motioned for me to take her wrist and I did the same. I took her wrist and bit her as gently as I could, taking a small sip as Eric had done before me, and I then turned her to Pam who drank from her neck before sealing the wounds on her wrist and neck. Belinda turned and took Eric's wrist, biting down until she was able to break the skin, and she drank before repeating the process with me and finally Pam. By the time she finished drinking from us she was drunk off the mixture of our blood. It was probably more from the potency of Eric's blood than anyone else's and he and Pam helped Belinda into a seat and it was then Pam's turn.

Eric went first taking her wrist and drinking from her and then I did the same but with her other wrist. It was obvious Pam was getting excited, but that was to be expected; she is still Pam. Eric offered Pam his wrist and she took it so gently that it surprised me. She bit down and drank a good long pull of his blood before turning to me and as she took my wrist and put it to her mouth I heard Eric growl. Just as I predicted he was not looking forward to Pam biting me; he had had no problem with Belinda doing it, but there was something instinctual that brought out his possessiveness when it came to letting another vampire bite me that was giving him problems. I soothed him through the bond and encouraged Pam to continue and she bit down drinking deeply. Eric wanted to pull her away, but before he did or had to she backed off on her own. Eric drank from Pam at her neck and she sighed a sweet sigh and looked far away as if she was remembering something from long ago. Then Eric turned her to me and I bit her wrist and took a small sip. She tasted much like Eric but not as sweet. When I finished she walked away from us and went to join Belinda.

That only left Eric and me. We had shared blood over and over so why did this feel so I wondered why- this time felt so different. Maybe it was all the different blood coursing through my veins, or possibly knowing that with this, our next blood exchange, we would be completing the circle we were creating amongst the four of us. I didn't know if it was the combination of our blood or the fact that Belinda and Pam were now making out on the sofa but I wanted him to drink from me and then take me hard. Eric must have been feeling it too because we practically attacked each other and drank deeply from one another. Once we were done we kissed each other passionately over and over. I was finally able to tap down my desire for a moment, and as I cleared my throat, Belinda and Pam broke apart from their make out session as well.

"So are we a nest now?" I asked.

"Yes, we are a nest. Can you not feel them Sookie?" I let go of the lust I was feeling for Eric and concentrated on Pam and Belinda. I could hear them more clearly, I could feel them more strongly and I felt like… Shit I felt like they were mine. Damn you Eric Northman and your super imposing feelings!

**A/N: **And please remember, **I WILL NOT POST NEXT MON NIGHT/TUES MORNING; IT WILL BE NEXT WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT THE EARLIEST! **

**So just how protective will Sookie become of her new vampiric children? Will Eric like that Sookie feels she is a maker to Pam and Belinda? Will Maggie Jo join us soon?**** Momma loves it when you REVIEW so please do!**


	46. Chapter 46 Plan My Damn Wedding Already

**Chapter 46 – Plan my damn wedding already**

A/N: THANK YOU FOR BEING PATIENT~~~**okay baby minions… something happens that some find gross…** you have to bear with me and just know there is a reason… trust MOMMA Also thank you so much for understanding my need for vacations this summer and that posting might not be every Tuesday, but I will try and I will always let you know! **I LOVE MY CONTENT EDITOR KJWRIT and my BETA SASSYVAMPMAMA!**

_**LAST TIME:**__** (Eric wanted to form have a formal nest with Sookie and the girls, Sarah knows Belinda's daughter and the adoptive mom is terminally ill, Sookie and Sarah come to an understanding where their families are concerned, Jason shows up with a new girl for supper and causes a stir, Sookie helps Jason with his women troubles, Sookie has some realizations about Eric being her fated, Lillianna and Niall finally talk out their differences, Jessica is hired on as the Compton's new nanny, the formal Nesting Ceremony has just took place and we left off with…)**_

**SPOV**

**That only left Eric and me. We had shared blood over and over so why did this feel so different. Maybe it was all the different blood coursing through my veins or the fact that Belinda and Pam were now making out on the sofa but I wanted him to drink from me and then take me hard. We practically attacked each other and we drank deeply from one another. Once we were done we kissed each other over and over. I was able to tap down my desire for a moment and as I cleared my throat Belinda and Pam broke from their make out session as well.**

"**So are we a nest?" I asked.**

"**Yes we are a nest. Can you not feel them Sookie?" I let go of the lust I was feeling for Eric and concentrated on Pam and Belinda. I could hear them more clearly, I could feel them stronger and I felt like… Shit I felt like they were mine. Damn you Eric Northman and your super imposing feelings!**

**EPOV**

I was surprised at the emotions coming from Sookie. She pulled from my arms and went to Pam and Belinda gathering them in her arms and holding them close to her. She then looked back at me and voice what I already knew,

"It feels like they are mine. Is this how you love me? Is this how you love them? It is so deep so much deeper than I ever knew. Oh Eric, all the times I denied you the connection of being my maker and you loved me… like this?"

"Sookie, that is all behind us. We have been over that. You love me now and we are one now. The past does not matter. You have felt my love for you before… how is this different?"

"It's so clear. Everything is so clear. I know that I have felt your love through our bond, but I have never been able to separate your love for me as my pledged and as my maker. I am so sorry I put it off, but you know why I did it… it was for the babies… I wasn't sure we could have them if we…" I stopped her.

"Sookie, you do not have to worry about this. I know why you wanted to wait. You denied me nothing. Please do not worry about this. I love you just the way you are and love you as my wife and my little vampire." She was still clinging to Pam and Belinda with Pam snuggled against her as if she were me and whispered,

"She smells like you Eric, just like you." and she closed her eyes. I had noticed Pam's need to be held lately and wondered silently if I had loved her enough. Her eyes snapped to me as she pulled herself from Sookie and immediately came to me. I realized that she had 'heard' my thought as she said,

"Of course you have. You are the most wonderful maker and you have always taken such good care of me. I didn't know that every maker was not this way… I didn't know what you had been through with your maker for so long. I feel like I have taken you for granted." She laid her head on my chest and took a not needed breath.

"You are a good child, and though you may try my nerves, you have never taken for granted what we have. I have neglected you as of late with all the circumstances surrounding Sookie and I, but that ends now." I kissed her head and held her tightly as Sookie and Belinda made their way to us. Sookie stroked Pam's hair lovingly as she spoke,

"I know I'm not your maker. I know I am just your sister and friend, but I love you like you are mine. I understand the relationship that you and Eric have and I will not stand in the way of it. I am very secure in my relationship with him and I know that you have need of him at times and Pammie that's okay. It's alright for you to need him. It's alright to cry out to him when you're confused or scared. I know that a lot is going on with you right now between your relationship with Belinda, finding her baby and how much you're wanting to pledge with her and turn her. It's okay that you need him so much right now sweetie, I understand and I'm here too. I will always be here for you, for both of you." She added as she turned to Belinda.

"You are my baby cousin and I love you. Whatever you need, whenever you need it I will always be here for you and to help you." I smiled as I enveloped my girls in my arms and I sighed with contentment as they all snuggled into me. Belinda was still visibly drunk and was giggling.

"What is so funny little one?" I asked wondering what was going through her drunken little mind.

"She called Pam 'Pammie'…"

"I know, but what she said was so sweet I decided to let it slide and not slap her as I promised the last time she said it." Pam snarked with her trademark wink and Belinda continued to giggle.

"Pamela, I know you are joking, but just so we are clear if you ever strike Sookie, I will take all your shoes away and you will go without for a year." I smiled knowing she would never raise a hand to my beloved and then I added, "I believe it is time you take your bonded to rest. She is quite drunk."

"I know. She could never do 'V'; it would be a sight would it not?" Pam smiled and I nodded in agreement. We all headed down to our resting chambers with a still giggling Belinda. Sookie turned to me and asked,

"Why is she so drunk? She has had Pam's blood before, is it your blood?"

"Yes. I am so old and it is potent. She will feel the effects for several hours. Think of it this way, she is used to beer, but she just had 6 shots of tequila for the first time." I knew my little barmaid would understand that analogy and as predicted Sookie said,

"Oh… gotcha." I took Belinda and carried her to Pam's room and left her in Pam's gentle care. Pam was cooing to her and agreeing with her drunken babble. It was very sweet.

"Pammie," then there was more giggling, "I think your hair is soooo pretty… you smell good baby… I wanna go for a boat ride… hehe…" I didn't get the last one at first but then I thought about and laughed as Sookie and I walked to our entrance.

"Boat ride?" Sookie questioned once we were inside and I pursed my lips and made the boat-motor noise with my lips as I raised an eyebrow at her. She took my meaning immediately and said,

"Ooooo, I wanna go for a boat ride too." It was almost a pouted request. Far be it from me to deny my wife anything she wants.

"Then come here. I will give you _anything _you want. Just tell me, where do you want my mouth, lover?" She stripped with the speed of a vampire and setting down on the side of the bed she spread her legs and pointed to her beautiful little pussy. I knelt before her and asked,

"Here?" I kissed her clit lightly and teased her, "you want me to kiss here?" She moaned her answer to me and I petted her legs and thighs as I kissed her gently at first and then harder. I pursed my lips over her swollen throbbing sex and blew softly as she began to scream. The profanities that ripped through her mouth made me go crazy with lust and I wanted to devour her.

Her scent was intoxicating and I realized with great pleasure it was about to be her 'time of the month' as she called it. I would not bring it to her attention, as she would deny me this pleasure. I would never understand how she could be so wild in some aspects and then such a shy, sweet, innocent girl in others. I would never try to change her though, never. Her moaning brought me back to the present and I drove my tongue deep inside her and was rewarded with her sweet essence and her wonderfully intoxicating blood.

"Oh yes, Sookie, so sweet so good." I said after I allowed her to come down from her orgasmic haze. She put her hand on her stomach as if she were in pain. I knew she was probably cramping but I was not ready to let her go just yet so I kissed her there again before pressing two fingers inside her and I brought her hard again. I lowered my mouth to her sex and drank down the wonderful mixture again and almost came from the taste alone. I saw her look down at me in horror as she realized there was blood around my mouth, but knowing I had not bitten her. Before she could protest I did something that Eric Northman, King of Louisiana does not do, but Eric the husband would gladly stoop to, I begged,

"Please lover, allow me this. You have no idea, please…" She was blushing profusely but she nodded and I went back down on her and drank. I finished and wiped my mouth on the back of my hand when I finished and kissed my way up her body. I avoided her mouth knowing with her Southern Belle ways it would disturb her to 'taste' herself on my lips at the moment. I tried to understand how this blood was different than any other but I would never understand her ways. Once again I would never try.

She was soaked with desire and I pushed into her gently. She was meeting me thrust for thrust and it was absolutely the most wonderful feeling in the world. I would never get used to the wonder of our bodies joining or the peace and happiness it brought me. I could not help myself as I leaned down to kiss her and she allowed it. I kissed her deeply while I pressed even further into her. She pulled her legs up and wrapped them tightly around my waist and as I leaned away from her she voiced her desire.

"Over your shoulders, put them over your shoulders… I need you deeper… please…" I did as she requested, pulling back, but not completely out of her it was just enough to loop her legs over my shoulders and then pressed back inside her as she screamed out,

"My maker… oh… yes... claim me!"

**SPOV**

I felt my stomach cramp and thought, _'not now…'_ I was pretty sure I was going to start any moment and while Eric is not put off by it, the thought of it made me cringe. But the moment he blew against my swollen nub that thought left my mind and I came so hard I damn near went blind. He was on me again barely letting me recover from the first orgasm, and he brought me again. I looked down at him and was mortified to see blood on his mouth. He had not bitten me so I knew I had started and began to pull away and go to the bathroom to 'take care' of things but he said,

"Please lover, allow me this. You have no idea, please…" There was urgency in his voice that made me give in; knowing no matter what I had ever asked of him he always gave it to me. As uncomfortable for me as it was, this was something he really wanted and had asked me to do for months, so I nodded and he went back to giving me great pleasure while filling up on my blood. When I looked down at him again his skin was flushed and he was kissing my stomach. I felt a strange pride in the fact that I had made him so happy, no matter how creepy and gross the cause of his happiness was.

I lost that train of thought as he slowly entered me. He was being so wonderful to me, so loving and I wanted him deeper, begging for what I wanted. He put my legs over his shoulders and gave me my desire. I needed my maker, my husband and lover to be buried deep inside me, filling both my body and my soul. He rode me, he giving me what I wanted, he gave me himself and he gave it to me in such a way that there was no doubt that he was mine and I was his. He claimed me. He was growling and telling me how good it felt; how good I was and it made me even wetter. How that was even possible I did not know, but he did it.

"Eric, now… come for me NOW!" I was arching my back up meeting him thrust for thrust and he drilled into me screaming out my name as he came. He filled me and I clung to his arms; feeling like if I let go of him or he let go of me in that moment I would break apart into a million little pieces. He held me and rocked me gently as he rearranged me on the bed so I could lie back comfortably. He was brushing my hair back and kissing my face making me feel so precious, so loved. He was sending me so many emotions through our bond and I was nothing but content.

"My lover, my wife, I love you so."

"I love you too Eric. I love you too." I cuddled against him for a little while before I rose to go clean up, leaving him to change the bedding and when I returned in my comfy pajamas he laughed and said,

"Are we that 'old married' couple now lover? You now wear flannel pajamas to bed."

"They are not flannel, but they are very comfy and I am all crampy now, so I want comfy. Besides, we aren't technically married yet. I haven't even started planning it yet. I have to get on that tomorrow I mean this is the first week of May and well I need to get on it."

"You should call Claudine." He said very matter a fact.

"Why?"

"Do you not know what your cousin does, Lover?"

"No, I guess I don't." I admitted.

"She is a wedding planner, but you better make sure you involve Pam and make sure Pam thinks she is in charge or there could be an incident." He laughed and I agreed. Soon I felt the pull of dawn and we slipped into our coma-like sleep together.

The next day I awoke around lunch time and made my way to the kitchen. Belinda was nowhere in sight and I could not hear her, so I guessed that she was still sleeping off her drunken stupor. I giggled to myself remembering how drunk she was and I was still laughing as Lillianna came inside. Seeing her is when it struck me that my family was leaving tonight and would not return until the wedding. I had gotten used to us all living together.

"Good morning sunshine! Where is my little granddaughter?"

"Your little granddaughter got skunk drunk last night off Eric's blood and she is sleeping it off."

"I was afraid that might happen. At least she didn't make a play for him… she didn't did she?"

"Oh no, she was waaaaayyy to caught up in Pam to barely even notice us." That caused a huge amount of laughter from Lillianna.

"I'm happy that she has Pam. I wish I could be here for her as she retrieves her child. I cannot believe I have a great grandchild. I cannot wait to hold her, our little Maggie. I, of course, will come back once she has the child and things are settled. I don't want to overwhelm the little one."

"You'll come back for the wedding won't you? It is in a little under three months or so, July 31st; you'll be here right?" I asked realizing I had asked everyone but her and Alexander.

"Of course Sookie, wild horses could not keep us away!" she declared as Belinda made her way into the kitchen.

"I feel soooo bad. This is the worst hangover ever. I thought vampire blood was supposed to make you feel better. Ugh…"

"Oh it normally does, but you had too much." Lillianna giggled

"I took such small sips. I blame Eric. He should not have let me have more than a drop."

"It could have been that or the mix of his blood and Sookie's. Her blood is infused with Faery blood, Vampire blood and a very old magic. Marcus has spoken of it once that she smells of ancient magic, so you may be blaming the wrong vampire." Lillianna offered to her with a smirk.

"Well who ever… I need coffee and food pronto. Sookie will you please…"

"Of course my little one, I will fix you something right now." I was feeling overprotective of her and wanted to make sure she was alright. I knew it was the whole maker/child thing I had started feeling the night before, but I tried to shake it off. I was making food as I changed the subject hoping it would help me not make her go lie down or run her own grandmother out of the house.

"Are you calling Sarah this morning?"

"Yes, she thinks that Mary Jo has a doctor's appointment today so we may have to wait until tomorrow to talk to her about… everything. I am really nervous, but I have this feeling that everything is going to be alright." She smiled and Lillianna added,

"It is your faery side. You have the ability to sense the future even if you can't foresee the future like Hunter does it is very similar." This seemed to make Belinda happy and that was all that really mattered. Lillianna turned to me and asked,

"So what is on the agenda today girls? Other than you will probably make brownies at some point in the day!" she laughed as we all did.

"So, I am calling Claudine today to help me start planning the wedding."

"Oh Sookie, you can't do that! It will hurt Pam soooo much. She has the venue, the caterer, the florist and dresses all picked out…"

"That is just it Belinda, I want Pam's input, but if I don't get someone outside to start helping, this is going to be Pam's wedding and not mine. I want her help but not for her to take over." I offered.

"Okay but you have to tell her." And my little faery bounced over to the kitchen table to wait for whatever I was going to fix her for lunch.

About two hours later I called Claudine and made my request that she come to the house. I slipped down into Pam's resting chamber and took the wedding planner from where Pam had it hidden and started flipping through it in Eric's office. When Claudine popped to the back porch around 3 I ushered her into the library to start looking over the plans that Pam had done so far.

"You know Sookie; some of these ideas are very good. I know this caterer and this florist and I agree we should use them, Extremely Elegant Events are very well known in the supernatural world and they will know how to seamlessly combine all of the human, faery, and vampire elements you want included." Claudine advised and we started looking at wedding gowns. Not that Pam or Claudine would allow me to buy something 'off the rack', but we were still looking at styles when Eric strolled into the room looking very much alive.

"Well, Sookie, is there something you need to tell me?" Claudine asked as she stared at Eric. It was very apparent not only was he awake in the day, but that his heart was beating and he was breathing as well.

"You can't tell Niall." was the first thing out of my damn mouth. I hated like everything that I did not trust my great grandfather, but where Eric was concerned I just didn't. If I had been thinking I would have not asked Claudine to come here just to avoid this situation, but I was so scattered with everything happening in our lives right now that I goofed up. Eric did not look happy that Claudine was here; she and Niall were his least favorites in my family tree. Claudine had not protected me 'enough' in Eric's opinion and Niall was his 'maker's' enemy. Eric felt that Laurell was his maker in every way that counted and Niall had hurt her, so he would never like him and that would always make me leery.

"I will tell no one Sookie. This could be very dangerous for you both. He could be killed as any mortal man could be now."

"No, he still has his vampire powers. He is not defenseless." I bowed up as if she were an enemy ready to attack him. Belinda was in the room in a flash and put herself between Claudine, Eric and me. She growled and snarled as she paced, as if she were trying to decide if she was going to attack or not.

"Belinda, Sookie, I am not a threat to your nest mate. I would never hurt the Northman or put him in any danger. He will always hold a special place in my heart. I will never hurt him." She said with silver tears in her eyes as she cut them away from me and over to him. He nodded and I realized something that I had no idea how the hell to feel about.

"You slept with my cousin? Really Eric? Damn it! You didn't think you should mention to me that you fucked Claudine?"

"He didn't fuck me… it wasn't cheap... it was a little affair… …" she was in tears and that did nothing for my calm.

"Claudine you are so not helping right now." was all Eric could muster. I however had soooo much to say… the question was did I say it before or after I beat the shit out of him!

**EPOV**

My affair with Claudine had been brief and well over a century ago, but it had been one of the few that I did hold dear. It had ended horribly though. When faced with choosing me or her family she left me and no matter how much I tried to blow it off, that had bruised my ego and it did make me dislike her. Now that I had had the time to reflect on it, I realized that she had only been a girl, faced with losing her family over a man that told her he could not love. So why would she have tried to make it work with a vampire who claimed he could never love her? It made sense that she did not choose me, but it still hurt my pride. What I was not expecting was to ever have to explain this relationship to Sookie.

My wife was really getting wound up and I had no idea how bad this was going to get, but as I tried to start explaining Claudine made things worse by admitting it was a relationship and not just a feed and fuck. Damn it, then Belinda abandoned me by saying,

"I think I better go check on Pam. She hates it when I am not there when she wakes." And with that I was left alone with one pissed off faery and one weeping faery. This was going to be a long ass night. Shit!

"So why not tell me?"

"Can we talk about this in private, Lover?"

"Oh don't you "Lover" me _darling_!" Oh hell… darling… that is never good. She paused for a moment before drawing in a deep breath and saying,

"Yes, I need some air." Turning to Claudine she asked, "Claudine, would you wait here please?" and then back to me, "Walk with me." She turned and walked to the door as she headed outside to the grounds. I know that she likes to walk down to the lake where there is a tiny gazebo so I thought that was where she was probably headed.

She had her back to me when I got down to the gazebo, but before I could speak she said,

"I don't care that you slept with her. I care that you did not tell me. It's like you were keeping it secret for some reason. Did you love her?"

"NO! I have only loved one other woman besides you and that was Aude. Even then it pales in comparison to our love. I don't know why I never said anything, it didn't seem important enough to bring up. Should I make a list of every woman I have ever had sex with and give to you? It would be quiet the list!" I was a little angered by what she was insinuating and my comment only added fuel to her fire.

"No I just want to know if you've fucked anyone else I am related to!" She was glowing and I was one more poor comment away from feeling her full fury.

"No Lover. To be honest, I saw how you reacted to the thought of my having a relationship with Laurell and we were never even intimate. You were so overwhelmed at first with my loving her that I thought if you knew I had had feelings for Claudine and a relationship with her that you might… I thought you would…" I could not even bring myself to say it.

"Eric Northman, I thought we covered this, I don't run and I would certainly not leave you for something that happened over a century ago. That is not why I am upset. I am upset that you feel you have to keep secrets from me. That you think I'm not in this for the long haul and that I'm looking for a reason to leave you. I felt every emotion run thought you when you realized I knew and that is what upset me, not the affair that happened before I was even born." She had a single tear run down her cheek as she said one last thing,

"You don't fully trust me with your heart Eric; you talk a good game but you just don't fully trust me! You're just like I used to be; waiting for the other shoe to drop. Waiting for the goodbye! Well guess what big boy, it ain't happening! I am never leaving you. I LOVE YOU AND YOU ARE MINE!" It wasn't said in the tone I would have liked, but she was still just too mad at me. However, it was just the words I needed to hear. The only problem was she popped away from me and back into the house.

I walked slowly back to the house and realized that she was correct; I was afraid. I was constantly on guard for the 'what will I do to make her leave me' and that was not fair to her or to me. I turned back from the house and walked to the lake. She was sending me love through the bond even though she was so mad at me she could 'bite a nail in half' as she would say. I sat and looked at the sun setting over the lake and realized with great happiness I would never be alone again. Sookie would not leave me. I had a nest and Sookie would give me a family. I was not alone. I sat there for a few more moments until the sun disappeared over the horizon and I said out loud to myself,

"I am not alone. I have a family that loves me and I have to trust them to love me as I love them." To which I heard a familiar voice say,

"Well, that took you long enough." It was Marcus. He smiled as he walked toward me and admitted,

"Laurell cannot yet leave the house with twilight but she felt you and sent me to check on you. I am proud that you have come to this realization, but what happened to get you here?" I recanted my tale and he shook his head in disbelief and laughed at my stupidity.

"Oh my little vampire, you do know how to cause a scene."

"I know..." I was about to make fun of myself, but was cut short when I felt a HUGE disturbance in the bond or "The Force" _(mental note; watch that damn movie)_ as Sookie would giggle, but there was no giggling coming from Sookie or Pam. Pam was very angry! Sookie was frustrated and Belinda was attempting to defuse whatever was happening.

"We better get inside, the girls are upset." I explained. We entered the house to Belinda standing in between Sookie and Pam with her palms up saying,

"No I am not taking sides, what I was trying to say is that it is Sookie's wedding and maybe we should ask her what she thinks."

"Well obviously she THINKS that the faery over there can create a better wedding that ME!" and then the muttering and talking to herself began as she paced, "oh no Pam hasn't got a clue… I have only been planning this damn thing since he screwed up the proposal…" then she saw me… SHIT.

"And you… and you! You wouldn't have even gotten her an engagement ring right if it had not been for a family heirloom. You would have given her a goat!" Then there was more muttering and Claudine finally took the hint and said,

"I think I should go."

"Yes, I think you should…"And then we heard the rest of the comment,

"You no account home wrecking faery from hell." might or might not have been muttered by none other than Belinda. Sookie chided Belinda's comment,

"Belinda, you apologize for that right now."

"Okay, sorry… you are not from hell." Not the apology Sookie was looking for so she added through her teeth to Belinda,

"Belinda, she is family." Belinda had not accepted Niall as easily as Sookie had and even though Claudine was kin to Niall and Niall to Belinda our little one did not see it that way.

"She's not my family… not really."

"Her daddy is half-brother to my granddaddy so she is my family and that makes her your family. Now be nice." I felt Sookie send her a little zap through the bond and Belinda made amends.

"I'm sorry Claudine. They're kinda my world and I get weird around them and now that we are a nest I feel really protective."

"It's alright, I understand. Please know that I will help you all with the wedding in any capacity that you need." She turned and went to the open door and once outside she popped away. Pam was far from done. Sookie and she began a spirited debate over the venue and it was about to turn ugly when Sookie threw her hands up and said,

"You know what Pam? Do whatever the hell you want! Just plan my damn wedding already! I wanna get married on the 31st of July and look pretty, so what the fuck ever! It's not like it's MY wedding or anything…" and she stormed off. I knew that Sookie wanted to be part of planning her own wedding, and I also knew how overbearing Pam can be at event planning, so I was fairly sure I was going to have to intervene. I also knew that part of Sookie's problem was that her family was going to be leaving for the airport in a couple of hours and would not be back for 12 weeks or so.

I was worried about my girls. Pam was feeling hurt, Sookie was frustrated and hurt, not mention Belinda was torn. She and I were left alone in the den with Marcus. I hugged Belinda tightly and asked about the baby and she informed me that Sarah was making contact tomorrow. I nodded and kissed the top of her head and offered her some advice about Pam.

"Just let her cool off for a few minutes and then she will realize how unfair she was being to you, alright?" She nodded and padded off after Pam so I looked to Marcus and said,

"Should I give her a minute or…"

"No, go after her. She is not angry with you; she just wants to get married. I think she is unable to explain to Pam why she does not want to marry at "The Fountain." She needs to tell Pam where she wants to have the wedding and then all will be better. I am sure of it."

"Do you know where she wants to marry?"

"Yes, I believe I do. She wishes to marry at the little church in her hometown or at her grandmother's home. Women imagine their wedding from the time they are little girls, so it would only make sense that she sees it in a familiar setting, not some fancy hotel. She might even want it to be somewhere here on the property like down at the lake by the gazebo. She is always saying how the happiest she has ever been is since she moved in here with you. The important thing is that _someone _needs to ask _her_ what _she wants_." I nodded and realized that he was absolutely right and that I was going to have to come up with a plan.

I called out to both girls, but neither answered which left me thinking 'alright so that is how it is going to be huh?'

"As your maker I command you. Come to me now!" Pam was immediately by my side but Sookie was fighting me off and that was fine. I needed to talk to Pam first. I loosened my pull on Sookie and concentrated on Pam.

"Pamela, when Sookie comes in I want you to ask her where she wants to get married and why." By this time Sookie was walking very slowly into the room with daggers in her eyes for me.

"My Sookie, I want you to answer whatever questions Pam asks of you honestly. Alright now girls let's figure this out together." I knew this needed to be settled quickly as Sookie's family would be leaving for the airport in 3 hours or so.

"Sister, where do you want to get married and why?" Pam asked in the snarkiest tone known to mankind.

"I want to get married down by the lake. I just decided on it today. I wanted to get married at Gran's, but there are so many bad memories there and here there are only good ones. Not to mention down by the lake is where Eric finally gave his whole heart." Her words wounded and healed me all in the same breath. I gathered her to me and kissed her as she continued to explain to Pam,

"I don't want to get married somewhere that I have never been or will never go again. I want to get married somewhere so I can show Addie, CJ and Lars. So I can be playing with them out in the yard and say, 'Hey kids, look over there… that is where I married your daddy.' I know you think it is stupid but it's important to me." Her eyes were silently pleading with Pam as she stood to look out the window down to the gazebo and lake area. Pam sighed and said,

"Well, I suppose if we _do_ hire Extremely Elegant Events they have those big white tents and we could do the whole thing far enough away from the house… I would have to deal with the Tiger, but he puts on good events." Pam was tapping her nails on her teeth as she thought and then Sookie chimed in,

"And we could put those votive candles that float in the pool, the Chinese lanterns in the trees and we could put those little twinkle lights all the way down the path and in the trees so it lead to the gazebo…" and Pam cut in,

"We could also have billowing white fabric that matches the tents flowing all down in a continuous archway of sorts… that would look very romantic and the pictures would be gorgeous." Pam pulled out the wedding planner as they began to make notes together. There was only one slight uprising when Sookie said she would like her motif to be an orange/peach with some deep oranges here and there. It was defused when Sookie declared,

"Not pumpkin orange Pam! A deep dark orange and just for the votive candles in the pool and the paper lanterns that we hang, everything else will be a light peach that complements each other." Then the tones went back to sweet and the giggling began. Sookie was happy when Laurell and Lillianna came in and joined in the impromptu planning party. I was relieved as was Belinda who stayed close to my side.

"Little one, do you not wish to play with the girls?" I laughed.

"I'm too nervous. Sarah is going to call Mary Jo tomorrow and as much as I want Maggie back I'm scared. I mean, I don't know anything about children or being a mom… what if I suck?"

"You will do fine. You have a loving heart and a gentle touch that is all you need with a child."

"Did you like being a dad?"

"Yes, I look forward to doing it again with Sookie and I will of course always be there for Maggie." This declaration seemed to put her at ease and I was happy to have been able to make her smile. She padded off to join the others as I went in search of the men.

"So Marcus, what time are you all leaving?"

Our flight on Anubis leaves at Midnight to take us back to New York. We will arrive around 4 am their time and seek shelter with a friend, Queen Shashanna of New York. We will continue on in our jet tomorrow night. I will miss you all, but it will be good to be home."

"Sookie is going to miss Laurell very much." I said sheepishly not wanting to admit I would miss my two best friends. They both smiled a knowing smile at me as Marcus chose not to acknowledge my wording and said,

"I know, but once Lillianna pops here she will be able to guide Sookie and teach her how to pop to our home. Not to mention we will of course be here for the human wedding." He said with amusement in his voice as he poked fun at me.

"Marcus, are you making fun of me?"

"ME? Do you think I would make fun of you, our darling vampire, who according to you 'would never love again and who would never take a human as a pet…' Need I go on and remind you of more of your omniscient quotes?" he laughed.

"That was before Sookie; she changed everything for me." I smiled as I thought of all the times I had made fun of Alexander and his devotion to Lillianna or how I had thought it odd Pam caring for her pets, as she always did. Alexander was lost in thought looking at his love. I watched him for a moment before asking,

"Do I want to know?" I demanded more than asked as I did not like the look on his face.

"She wants to find her father." He said with little or no emotion in his voice.

"He tried to kill her." Was all I was able to remark; I could not believe she wanted to see him.

"I tried to remind her of that, but she seems to only remember how he was with her when she was a child. What am I going to do?" I thought before I spoke and then said,

"You are going to love her through it and protect her. If she searches for him then you have to search with her to protect her. Women tend to only remember the good of their family. Sookie had an uncle who abused her and she blamed herself for it for years." Marcus chimed in to correct me.

"That is not a woman thing, Eric. That is an abused thing; people who are abused make excuses for their abusers often. Do you know the first thing Laurell said to me after Niall had thrown her down on the dance floor, back handed her and spoke to her as if she were a dog?" I shook my head no,

"She said she should not have danced with me so closely. That he was jealous. But once I held her and she felt safe she broke… she told me everything… How she longed to be loved. I surmise it was the same with Sookie. She had so many horrible things happen to her over the years it took some time for her to feel safe enough to speak to you on all of it."

"Do you think what she said is true? That if Fintan had not covered her in magic I would have found her and been her protector?"

"Yes, I do believe that now that I have seen you two together. You are truly a fated pair and your souls, they way that they are intertwined, is so incredible that I have only seen it a hand full of times in my 3000 years. Old men write stories of the kind of love you and Sookie share and Alexander, if Lillianna truly wants to find Dermot, you know that Laurell will want to be involved and if she is involved then **I** am involved." I knew what that meant; Marcus would be looking for Dermot by tomorrow evening. I only hoped that was not going to open Pandora's Box.

**A/N: oh my goodness**… what are we thinking that means? I think it means… NEW BAD GUY (or could it be the wedding planner or the coordinator?) OH no! _**Will someone crash the wedding to try to Kidnap Sookie? **_Oh well it doesn't matter right now cause it's all for the new story that will start after the wedding… or will it? **MMMAAAWWWWW! **Once again thank you for being so patient with me this summer while I take all my trips!** HUGS**


	47. Chapter 47  Home

Chapter 47 – Home

A/N: **Sweet baby minions**, I will be honest … this is a lot of information and plot line… some of which will not come into play until the next installment of the saga. We are in the Home stretch, **please review I would really love to join the Eric Northman club and have a 1000 reviews by stories end**. As always I OWN NOTHING… it is all CH's! **I love my BETA Sassyvampmama and my Content Editor KJWRIT!**

**LAST TIME**_**: (Sookie, Eric, Pam and Belinda are a nest. Sookie feels a huge tie to the girls like she is a maker. There is a sweet loving scene with S/E. The next morning Sookie calls Claudine to help plan the wedding. Once there Claudine sees Eric day walking and breathing; Sookie begs her not to tell Niall. While Claudine is vowing she would never hurt Eric, Sookie realizes that there is something between the two. It comes to light they had an affair long ago and he meant something to her. Sookie is not made about the affair but about Eric keeping it from her and even more so his reaction of feeling 'this is when she will leave me.' They have a sweet heart to heart and he finally gives her his whole heart. Pam and Sookie fight over who is planning the wedding; Eric helps them work it out. Sookie's family is preparing to leave…when…)**_

**EPOV**

"**Do I want to know?" I demanded more than asked as I did not like the look on his face.**

"**She wants to find her father." He said with little or no emotion in his voice.**

"**He tried to kill her." Was all I was able to remark; I could not believe she wanted to see him.**

"**I tried to remind her of that, but she seems to only remember how he was with her when she was a child. What am I going to do?" I thought before I spoke and then said,**

"**You are going to love her through it and protect her. If she searches for him then you have to search with her to protect her. Women tend to only remember the good of their family. Sookie had an uncle who abused her and she blamed herself for it for years." Marcus chimed in to correct me.**

"**That is not a woman thing, Eric. That is an abused thing; people who are abused make excuses for their abusers often. Do you know the first thing Laurell said to me after Niall had thrown her down on the dance floor, back handed her and spoke to her as if she were a dog?" I shook my head no,**

"**She said she should not have danced with me so closely. That he was jealous. But once I held her and she felt safe she broke… she told me everything… How she longed to be loved. I surmise it was the same with Sookie. She had so many horrible things happen to her over the years it took some time for her to feel safe enough to speak to you on all of it."**

"**Do you think what she said is true? That if Fintan had not covered her in magic I would have found her and been her protector?"**

"**Yes, I do believe that now that I have seen you two together. You are truly a fated pair and your souls, they way that they are intertwined, is so incredible that I have only seen it a hand full of times in my 3000 years. Old men write stories of the kind of love you and Sookie share and Alexander, if Lillianna truly wants to find Dermot, you know that Laurell will want to be involved and if she is involved then I am involved." I knew what that meant; Marcus would be looking for Dermot by tomorrow evening. I only hoped that was not going to open Pandora's Box.**

**SPOV**

I don't know what the boys were talking about but one moment joy and teasing were flowing from the bond and then changed to angst and worry. I snapped my head to look over at them, but Eric shook his head 'no' at me, as if to say he would explain later.

Pam was on the phone with someone she kept referring to as Quinn and ended up getting a little rowdy with him as she barked,

"Listen to me TIGER! This is for the King and Queen of Louisiana, who happen to be my maker and my maker's beloved pledged, so you will make THE time!" He must have back peddled in reaction to her little tirade because she smiled evilly and tapped her fingers on the fangs that had clicked out in the middle of her moment of madness.

"That will do. The bride is the great granddaughter of The Fae Prince, Niall Brigant and is of the human line of King Felipe DeCastro of Nevada, but she has a human brother as well so I am not sure how to answer that question. I will check and let you know, but she is her own woman; no man owns her so she will choose I am sure." I somehow knew he was asking about the ceremony and who would be giving me away.

"I truly could care less what you think you worthless cat… I will call to set up a time to meet with you in person tomorrow evening. My Mistress and I have other details we need to attend to tonight so until tomorrow my little kitty." she purred and Belinda raised an eyebrow to her change in tone. It was a flirty tone and Belinda did not like it one bit.

"Pamela, who was that on the phone?" Belinda asked in an impatient tone.

"That was the owner of Extremely Elegant Events, John Quinn, he is an _old friend_." she said evasively which surprised me, due to the fact she was a lesbian through and through. To my knowledge she had not been with a man since Eric.

"How good of an old friend?" she asked with a raised eyebrow and upset tone.

"He kept me entertained for a time about 3 years ago." I could not help myself and asked,

"Pam I thought you were only into girls."

"I was drunk on faery blood at an event and he was very persuasive and very talented with his tongue."

"What else would you expect from a cat? Of course, he is talented with his tongue." Eric laughed out loud as he chimed in with that comment, but Belinda was not amused.

"I don't like you flirting with your ex-boyfriends, Pam." she snapped and moved away from us with her arms crossed.

"My bonded, there is no other; only you my love, only you." was Pam's response to Belinda as she moved with vampire speed to her side and pulled her into her arms.

"I'm sorry… I'm PMS'ing" she grinned up into Pam's eyes before continuing, "I just love you so much and I've got crazy jealous since last night." she admitted. I had felt it too. I had not wanted Lillianna to even hold Belinda today but I shrugged it off knowing it was the nest bond. Belinda, however, was new to all this and was having to do the best she could all while dealing with the emotions of finding out her child was alive and within reach. I rushed to their side and held them both; I could feel their emotions with my instincts and wanted to soothe them, so that is what I did.

I watched Eric smile at us and everyone else gave us a wide birth knowing we were a new nest and the bond was still volatile. Marcus smiled as he looked to Alexander and asked,

"Do you remember the first time another vampire raised his voice to you after we became a nest?"

"Yes, Laurell threw him across the room and Lillianna almost drained the human pet. I would say all in all they have much more control than what we did." he said to my surprise as Marcus and Laurell laughed at the memory. I felt sorry for the human pet, but if someone had come at Pam or Belinda right now they would get hurt. However, if they came at Eric, I would kill them without hesitation so I knew how Lillianna felt.

It was getting close to the time for them to leave and I was feeling melancholy about the whole thing. Even knowing that I would soon learn how to pop to see them and that they would be back in July didn't help me feel any better. I was PMS'ing too, so maybe I was just as emotional as Belinda was tonight.

Belinda walked over to Lillianna and wrapped her arms around her and whispered,

"Please don't go. I need you here tomorrow. I can't go alone to see her; I thought I could but I can't. I need you Gamma Lilli, please… can't you pop home later?" Her eyes were desperate and I wanted to tell Belinda that she would not be alone that I would be with her, but then I thought of my Gran. Would I want Hadley at an important event or Gran? I would want Gran. Lillianna turned to Alexander and he smiled at her and said,

"I do not have to be back to council until the 12th so we can stay a few more days if you need to." Lillianna hugged Belinda as I looked hopefully to Marcus and Laurell, but the answer was on their faces. My great-grandparents had to leave.

"I am sorry little one, but we have to go." Marcus said to me. I nodded and hugged him as Laurell took me into her arms and said,

"I am always with you and but a mere pop away. Lillianna can teach you how now that she is staying, so you'll learn sooner than you had hoped. I am proud of you and so glad that I have you in my life. I love you my fierce little granddaughter." She grinned and walked to Eric. I was expecting the same sweet goodbye for him, but as she lifted her hand to him she picked him up by the scruff of his neck and lifted him off the ground.

"As your maker I command you to take care of my great-granddaughter and my great-great granddaughter. If any ill will befalls them I will NOT be happy…" she paused as she gently released him and sat let him down. "And, as your maker, I command you to call me more regularly, come see me more than once a century and let me be here when the babies come. You will be very territorial when she becomes pregnant so be careful not to destroy the house." She smiled as Eric hugged her and whispered,

"I let you pick me up." he smirked at her as he returned the favor and lifted her off her feet.

"I know. That is why you are my little Viking and you always will be." She smiled that mother's smile at him as she continued, '"You are so good to me. You let me mark my territory even when you could stop me." she laughed. She then hugged Pam and advised her,

"He will become very territorial when she becomes pregnant; there is nothing fiercer than a Viking protecting his breeding female. Couple that with the fact that he is a vampire and it could be a recipe for disaster. Watch after him and try not to let your feelings be hurt when he tries to limit your time with her close to the delivery. I should be here by then so I will help. I love you Pamela, even if you don't need me too." Laurell always knows just what to say and how to say it. I had no idea that I would have to be worried about Eric's reactions when I do become pregnant, but everything she was saying made so much sense. Laurell then turned to Belinda,

"Good luck tomorrow when you see your little one. I am so proud for you, and if not for pressing Kingdom business and the whole daylight issue, I would be there too. I want pictures… lots of pictures! A great-great-great grandchild…" she then mused, "I am getting old."

"You are not old my Queen, you are perfect." Marcus smiled. He gave no words of wisdom or final instructions he simply hugged us all and kissed our cheeks. He did tell Alexander that he had to be home on the 12th and that it was "imperative" he be there. I wondered what was happening on the 12th since it was only a week or so away. I thought about asking Lillianna later on if she knew what it was all about, but then I remembered Marcus telling me he would never lie to me.

"Marcus, what is happening on the 12th?"

"The council that I preside over is having a discussion and possible vote to decide if we should join into one European faction instead of Eastern and Western Europe as we are now."

"What do you want to happen?"

"I am not decided as of yet, but if it happens they want me to reside over the joining."

"You would be King of Europe?"

"No, little one, I would still be King of my land, but it would be like…" he was thinking of something I would understand and then he said, "It would be like being president of NATO, but forever." That I actually understood, score one for the barmaid from Louisiana! There were a few more laughs and hugs but the cars were pulling into the drive way and luggage was being moved to and fro as we attempted to sort out what was Lillianna's and Alexander's since they were staying on a little while longer. Soon it was all sorted and Marcus and Laurell were gone leaving me feeling as though I had a huge hole in my heart. I watched their car until it disappeared and just when I wanted to cry, I swear I heard Gammy say,

"I am always with you… I love you." And then suddenly it was not so bad. I thought about the wedding, knowing that she would be there made me feel better and I was also very relieved that, without even asking her, she announced she would be present for the twin's birth. That was such a relief. I looked to Eric with tears in my eyes as he announced,

"I am taking my bonded to bed. She has had a full day and an emotional night. I will see you all tomorrow…" he paused. "Belinda, if you need me tomorrow. I can go. We can work around the security of it and make it happen if you need me." Belinda smiled and ran to him as she wrapped her arms around him and me and babbled,

"Best big brother EVER!" I knew that is how she thought of him, but it was always cute to hear. He turned and picked me up as he carried me to bed.

**EPOV**

I knew exactly what she needed; she needed to be loved and pampered. I took her into our bathroom and deposited her onto one of the chairs while I prepared the shower with bath gels and aroma salts in the bottom of the shower. I may be a stone cold killer, but I know how to take care of my woman. As I undressed her she asked for a moment alone and I knew what that was about, so I took leave of her for a moment and used that time to lay out her comfy pajamas and turn down the bed. She called to me when she was through and I returned immediately to her side.

"Come here Lover, let me do that for you." I smiled at her as I took the bath gel and began to wash her back. She moaned as I gently massaged her neck and shoulders taking the time to wash her and care for her to show her that she was my world. I sent her love and affection through the bond as well as reassurance that I would never leave or abandon her. She leaned back against me and rested her head on my chest admitting,

"You make me feel so safe and loved. You always know what I need." She cuddled against me and I reveled in her embrace, but I could not help myself and dipped into her mind.

'_He loves me so much… he is making this all about me… he never pressures me for anything; he gives me the world and asks for nothing in return. I will give him everything I can… I will give him children and love… I will protect his heart forever.' _Overwhelmed with emotion I had no words to say back to her that rivaled the sweet thoughts I just heard, so I pulled her against me and whispered,

"Come Lover, this was just step one in my plan to make you feel good." She smiled up at me and nodded as I took her from the shower. She asked for a moment alone again and I did that as I cleaned up after us taking the towels and tossing them in the hamper. She would be so proud that I did that; she was forever going on and on about me picking the towels up off the floor. I do eventually pick them up, but I really don't see the big deal and decided it was a woman thing. Pam would often quote a book called "Men are from Mars; Women are from Venus", constantly trying to explain why Sookie's reactions were different than mine, but to be truthful I had come to the conclusion that it was our differences that made us stronger. Sookie came into the bedroom and looked at me thoughtfully before asking,

"What are you thinking about baby? You look a million miles away."

"I was thinking that we have come so far. It no longer matters how different we are or how different we think and react on circumstances because we now talk about everything." She was putting on her pajamas and I was happy that she looked so peaceful.

"Can we go up and look at the stars? I want to try out the new sofa you bought for the sun porch." She loved our habit of talking there and I of course agreed. Once upstairs I saw that she was in pain so I warmed one of her heating packets up in the microwave and placed it on her stomach. I then pricked my finger and held it in front of her mouth with her taking the drop of blood before settling back into the sofa as she looked up at me and said,

"Thank you, will you hold me now please?" So sweet, so innocent, how did I get so lucky?

"Of course my wife, how do you feel now? Did my blood help to subside the pain in your stomach?"

"They're called cramps Eric, and yes, I'm lots better now." she giggled at me. I was not sure why but I have stopped trying to figure out why and when I amused her.

"I am glad you are well. Look up there; you see that set of stars there?"

"Yes. They are so bright."

"They normally are this time of year; I will tell you a story would you like that?"

"You know that I do… I love your stories." I knew she did and would want to hear the story, but we had so much to talk about to prepare for tomorrow. I was unsure if she would want to hear a story or jump right in and plan for Belinda meeting her child, but since she seemed to be waiting on my story, I began the tale with the words that always made her smile,

"Once upon a time, long, long ago, in a land far away," I paused to look down and see her smiling up at me as I smirked down at her before continuing, "there was a Viking who was sailing in the Nordic Sea trying to make his way home after a long voyage from home. He had sailed to a post far from his home in search of herbs and medicines for his village as an illness was upon them all. He too had been sick but due to his strong will he had been able to overcome the illness. He was almost home when a great fog came upon his vessel and he could no longer see to find his way. He had told his daughter when he would return and she was down by the bay waiting for her father, even though she was supposed to be fast asleep. She could see her father's great boat through the fog but she knew that he could not see the entrance to the bay. Being a smart little girl, she began to sing the story of the stars that her father had taught her." I began to hum the song that Sookie loved, the one that I had sung to Aunna when she was tiny.

"Her tiny voice echoed over the water and the great Viking raised his head to the stars that he had been unable to see, but in that moment there was a break in the fog bank. He could see those bright stars and coupled with the sound of her tiny voice, he was able to sail straight into the bay and dock without incident. The tiny girl hugged her father and soon he unloaded the medicines. He was able to help his people with the help he received from the stars and the star song. The end." I knew she was getting groggy. Her night had been such an emotional rollercoaster not to mention she had to deal with hormones on top of all that as well.

I decided to let her sleep for a while since she normally woke on her own at 3am or so and knew we could talk it all over then. I held her and rocked her, allowing myself to get lost in the bond and the feeling of complete contentment when I heard a little noise. It was Belinda.

"Hi."

"Hello, you are being a little mouse. Is everything well with you?"

"Yes. I heard the story; It was about you wasn't it?"

"Yes. Sookie likes the stories of my human life." I whispered.

"You'll really go with me tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Thanks Eric. I love you; you're the best." She kissed my cheek and Sookie's as well. She then padded off toward the kitchen undoubtedly in search of Sookie's brownies, and I called to Pam knowing she was alone. She tip toed out on the deck and smiled softly at our sleeping Sookie saying,

"She has had a big day."

"Yes, it was hard on her."

"Is Belinda alright?" I asked.

"For the most part, we will talk later when we go to bed. I am sure she will be fine."

"Be very gentle and easy spoken with her tonight. She is one wrong word from tears."

"I know, I will be very careful with her. She is my world Eric; I will do whatever I have to do to keep her happy and safe." I was so happy for my child. She had what I had; true love.

"I am happy for you Pam and just in case you've wondered, I believe that you will be a wonderful mother to her child."

"Do you really think so?" she asked in shock at my admission.

"Yes. I do. I also believe you will be a wonderful maker. I have thought so for quiet sometime. I am sorry that I have not voiced my opinion earlier to you." I confessed and she smiled brightly as if I had just given her a pair of next season's Jimmy Choo's. Sookie was getting restless with all the talking and began babbling in her sweet little voice.

"No… I don't wanna wear that… no… I said no taffeta!" With that she awoke and looked at Pam with confusion and then said,

"Pam I mean it, no taffeta! If I feel or see one bit of tulle underneath my dress we are going to have a problem!"

"Sookie you were dreaming. There will be no taffeta at your wedding so you can rest easy." Sookie settled back down into the sofa and I turned to Pam and once again whispered,

"You go take care of your girl and I will take care of mine. We will talk tomorrow evening when you rise and I will go with your bonded to the meeting with her child's adoptive mother." She nodded at my statement and said,

"As you wish Master." And she was gone. I took my sweet Sookie back to our resting chamber and as predicted she woke around 3 am. She stretched out and went to the bathroom before plopping back down on the bed very dramatically and saying,

"It's not fair! I am a vampire and I still have to deal with all the 'bathroom' stuff not to mention I still have to shave too! No fair…" She pouted her cute little tease of a pout that let me know she was joking and having fun. I smiled and asked her,

"How do you want to handle tomorrow?"

"I think we should take a blacked out limo that is light tight waiting for us there so it will be safe for you, just in case. I think she will be alright once she sees Maggie."

"I agree. I think once she is there she will see the child and feel better."

"I agree"

"There is one more thing you should be aware of." I advised her.

"What?"

"Lillianna wants to find Dermot. Laurell, Alexander and Marcus are going to help her locate him."

"Is that a good idea? I thought he tried to kill her once after she was turned."

"He… did not take her turning well. He was enraged when it happened." I explained.

"How hard will it be to find him?" she asked.

"He has been in hiding for centuries. He knows how to evade us; it could be difficult, but he might just be waiting to be contacted. Niall banished him after the attack on Lillianna and several other incidents." Incidents that included him coming after me, Marcus, Alexander and even his own mother, Laurell, but Sookie did not question me; she was compartmentalizing what I was saying to her. She went back to what mattered most to her; my safety.

"So who do I call about setting up the limo? I want to make sure it is light tight just to be sure you are safe. I want it to be someone we trust." she advised.

"I will call Rasul now. He can set something up for us; after all he is on the clock." A few minutes later I returned to our room. After calling Rasul I had everything all set up for us, and came back in to see a very sweet sight. My Sookie was stretched out in the middle of the bed with her arms wrapped around my pillow sound asleep. I wrote her a detailed note just in case her magic would not wake me in time to go with her since we had never tried to wake me that early in the morning. I wrapped Sookie up in my arms and slipped into what felt like sleep as opposed to downtime.

**SPOV**

The morning came early and Belinda was already up and talking. I could hear her with my telepathy and feel her through the bond. She was thinking so fast and she was happy… really happy. I tried to sit up and see if I could get a read on her, but she seemed to be all over the house. It was then when I opened up my shields a little bit more I picked up on two other adult brain waves and two children's. One I recognized as Elizabeth, but the other I did not know. So one of the adults was Sarah, but the other adult was so fuzzy I thought she must be Were of some kind, but then I realized from the bits and pieces I was getting this was Mary Jo, so the child was Maggie! I dressed with vampire speed, unsure what changed the plan of us driving over to see them, but I was glad they were here. I woke Eric and advised him of what I was hearing and for him to take his time adjusting to the change. He said,

"I will be up in a moment; I will call and cancel the limo." As he tried to even out his breathing he smiled at me and motioned for me to go. He could feel how excited I was for Belinda and I quickly made my way to the kitchen and followed the sounds of laughter until I found the two tiny girls becoming fast friends and Belinda sitting in the floor along with Sarah in the den. There was a very frail woman, holding her head in her hands, lying on my sofa and my heart broke for her as I watched her smile at her daughter, Belinda's child Maggie.

"Oh Sookie isn't it wonderful. Sarah surprised me! She and Mary Jo worked it all out so she could come here."

"Well, welcome to our home Mary. Is there anything I can get for you?" I asked quietly as she looked sleepy.

"Oh, no… I'm just tired. It's the chemo. They wanted to try one last round on the tumor to see if it would shrink it so they could operate. One minute they give me no hope and the next they give me just enough to agree to the hell that is chemo." she explained and I wanted to help her. I knew that I could not heal her, but I could help make her more comfortable. I could give her a good day and walked to her slowly speaking softly as I explained just that,

"Mary Jo, I have a gift. I can't heal you, but I can ease your pain if you trust me to try." She nodded and I moved closer, taking her hands into my own as I spread my light around her. I was oblivious to the world, concentrating only on Mary Jo, so when I felt a tiny hand gasp mine I was taken aback for a moment, but I continued to weave my magic as I felt I was being aided by this tiny hand. I let the light die down and looked to see who my little helper was and was delighted to see it was Maggie. She had the spark. I could feel it; I knew it like I knew my own name.

Belinda and I did a little faery magic and held our light in our hands making it dance for her. She then looked at us with her head turned to the side for a moment and started giggling and clapping. We were surprised when she reached and took the light from Belinda's hand letting it dance in her own little hand. She was adorable as she climbed into Belinda's lap without hesitation and cuddled against her; before looking at Belinda and saying the next best thing to calling her mom. She said,

"Home… you home." After saying that, she laid her little head on Belinda's chest and simply listened to her mother's heartbeat. Mary Jo seemed to take it all in stride and did not seem to be threatened or afraid. Eric made his presence known only a moment later asking,

"What are all these beautiful women doing in my home?" Belinda laughed, Sarah blushed, and Elizabeth clapped and made a beeline for him while Maggie and Mary Jo stared in disbelief. _'Yes he is that beautiful'_ was the thought that ran through my mind. I remembered when I first saw him and how beautiful I thought he was too.

"Mary Jo, this is my husband, Eric Northman."

"It is nice to meet you Mr. Northman."

"Please call me Eric." he said as he picked up Elizabeth and swung her up into his arms. She was in his thrall, I laughed to myself as I thought it. Eric's face turned very soft as he sat down on the floor with Belinda and asked,

"And who is this beautiful young lady?" Maggie hid her little face from him at first and then it turned into a peep eye sort of game. She was soon giggling and laughing with him leaving me impressed by how good he was with children. In no time at all Elizabeth and Maggie were climbing all over Eric like he was their own personal jungle gym. Elizabeth was trying to make it plain to Maggie that Eric was hers but Maggie was having none of it and gave the little cherub a run for her money. Every once in a while Mary Jo would say,

"Maggie Jo, she is younger than you… be gentle." That seemed to calm her and she was a very well behaved sweet girl. She would toddle over to Mary Jo and touch her face and say,

"Momma feeee bad?"

"No baby, not to today. Today Momma feels good." That seemed to make Maggie happy and she would run back to play. I could hear in Mary Jo's head that she wanted to talk to me so I went to sit down beside her.

"You and Belinda, you're whatever she is, aren't you?"

"Yes, we are Faery's"

"Faery's are real? Wow… I always knew she was special. She can do what you do, not on the same scale, but after the first chemo I was real sick and she touched me… there was light and well, I felt better for a bit." She drew a deep breath before she said, "Sarah told me about how Maggie came to me and I am real sorry about that and I want Belinda to know her. If this cancer takes me I want to know that Belinda will be her Momma, but if I live I will fight tooth and nail to keep her. I don't mind having y'all as family if you'll have us, it actually make me real happy, but just know that I won't give her up without a fight if you try to take her."

"We would never do that, but we have thought of some options that might help you as you try to beat your illness. Maybe we could talk about that over lunch?" I asked.

I explained to Mary Jo our wanting to hire a health care professional for her, the house in Bon Temps and how we wanted the girls to be raised together. How we wanted her as part of our family, but that we wanted to be sure that if the worst happened Belinda had custody. We also explained to her that we had several attorneys on staff that could help us draw up paperwork, but if she wanted her own attorney we understood that too. I saw the tears in her eyes as she smiled and whispered,

"That would be wonderful. I would like for the attorney who worked up my will and that was helping me find a guardian, before I knew about Belinda of course, look over everything. I have a good deal of money left from my late husband's life insurance policy and I was having it put in a trust for her." Eric spoke up,

"She is a Princess of Brigant, she has more money than any of us… don't you sweetie?" he asked her as he pinched her nose and teased her. Maggie was putty in his hands and she was clapping and laughing.

"A Princess, she is a faery princess, of who and what?" Mary Jo asked in confusion.

"I guess I should explain our heritage to you." Belinda said. She took over the conversation as Lillianna rose for the morning and came into the den. Maggie ran to her and said,

"Home…" I realized then that Maggie had the same gift that Hadley had she could sort out and feel her family.

"Mary Jo, this is my grandmother, Lillianna Brigant of the Sky Fae." Lillianna gave a slight bow to Mary Jo. "I was about to explain our heritage to Mary Jo, but I think maybe you would know more." She held Maggie in her arms and whispered,

"You have the spark. You are gifted too aren't you? I love you, I love you…" She held her close with tears in her eyes. The same happy tears I had seen in Belinda's eyes earlier when Maggie had called her home. Lillianna took a moment and began to explain the Brigant family tree to Mary Jo and Maggie, but I however wanted to see the extent of Maggie's ability so I asked her,

"Maggie, who all is 'home' here?" she walked to her mom and said,

"Mommy mine… but no home… not same…" and she kissed her mother's cheek. She then walked to me and said,

"You home…" then to Lillianna, "You home too." Then to Belinda and she giggled as she hugged her and put her head to her heart,

"You home… my home…" Belinda cried as she held her daughter and whispered,

"I love you Maggie." Mary Jo sat down beside Maggie and Belinda and said,

"You know how I told you about having a 'belly mommy' and then me, your mommy?" the little girl nodded. "Well she is your belly mommy that is why you can feel her." Maggie looked to Belinda and uttered the word she had longed to hear,

"You my mommy too?"

"Yes, me too…" Belinda choked out and Maggie hugged her again before hopping down and going to Sarah and saying,

"You home too… a wittle home." We all looked at her in confusion and I thought _'What the hell'?"_

**A/N: Okay baby minions,** I had to stop there for the time being… How could Sarah be kin to Maggie? Could she be a long lost cousin or just the a little faery blood? Mmmm… Things to ponder... Have a spot of trouble with the next chapter.. It is either going to be a monster or Shorter than normal as I might have to cut it in half... we will see! **Love you all! REVIEW FOR MOMMA!**


	48. Chapter 48 Two Weeks Later

**Chapter 48 – Two Weeks Later**

**A/N: Okay baby minions!** Here you go! As you know I own nothing… CH does… we are getting close to the end I am in the stages of writing the wedding scene and wedding night ( and the ever elusive ending scene…hahaha) **PLEASE REVIEW **I would love to make 1000, but no worries if I don't I love you anyways!** I had to cut it were I did or I was going to get into too much… HUGS (I love my beta sassyvampmama and my content editor KJWRIT)**

**LAST TIME: **_**(Pam, Sookie and the girls begin to plan the wedding, Marcus and Laurell leave for home while Alexander and Lillianna stay due to Belinda's request to her Gamma Lilli, Eric takes care of Sookie while she is under the weather with cramps… telling her stories and pampering her. Eric Comforts Pam and Belinda while Sookie sleeps. When Sookie wakes he tells her about Lillianna wanting to find Dermott and they make plans for the next day that turn out not to be needed as Sarah surprises Belinda by bringing Mary Jo and Maggie to her. Mary Jo realizes she is among friends.)**_

**and then… SPOV**

"**You have the spark. You are gifted too aren't you? I love you, I love you…" she held her close with tears in her eyes. The same happy tears I had seen in Belinda's eyes earlier when Maggie had called her home. Lillianna took a moment and began to explain the Brigant family tree to Mary Jo and Maggie. I however wanted to see the extent of Maggie's ability so I asked her,**

"**Maggie, who all is 'home' here?" she walked to her mom and said,**

"**Mommy mine… but no home… not same…" and she kissed her mother's cheek. She then walked to me and said,**

"**You home…" then to Lillianna, "You home too." Then to Belinda and she giggled as she hugged her and put her head to her heart,**

"**You home… my home…" Belinda cried as she held her daughter and whispered, **

"**I love you Maggie." Mary Jo sat down beside Maggie and Belinda and said,**

"**You know how I tell you about having a belly mommy and then me your mommy?" the little girl nodded. "Well she is your belly mommy that is why you can feel her." Maggie looked to Belinda and uttered the word she had longed to hear,**

"**My mommy too?"**

"**Yes, me too…" Belinda choked out and Maggie hugged her again before hopping down and going to Sarah and saying,**

"**You home too… a wittle home." We all looked at her in confusion and I thought **_**'What the hell'?"**_

**EPOV**

I think we were all taken aback by Maggie's declaration of Sarah being kin to her. Sookie looked at Maggie and asked,

"What about Elizabeth? Is Elizabeth home?" The sweet toddler cupped her baby sister's face that was now perched in Sarah's arms and said,

"Sissy mine… sissy no home… just mine." Sookie looked to me and said,

"She can tell the difference in her human blood line and Faery blood line. Home to her is Fae blood." Sarah looked a little stunned and said,

"But I'm not a faery. My parents were just plain old humans."

"I thought that too Sarah, and look at me." Sookie said.

"How do we find out?" Sarah asked with great interest.

"I can look into it for you," Lillianna answered before adding, "I of course will need Sookie to put in the inquiry with the Fae Council as I am not looked upon as Fae anymore and Belinda will need to pop to the actual Library for the documentation and research details."

"Pop?" Mary Jo questioned and I smiled. This poor human woman had no idea what kind of family she was joining, but she was about to find out. Belinda demonstrated by popping across the room while Maggie clapped her hands and squealed,

"Meeee too… Meee too!" Belinda walked back to her and said,

"Later, we will teach you that later. That's all we need; a two year old that can pop away when she is mad at us or sees a puppy she wants to play with across the way!" she laughed out loud and Maggie gave her a pout as she lit her own little hand and started making the light dance all by herself. She was a smart little girl and had her mother's quick wit and spicy attitude as she declared,

"Maggie big girl… NOT a baby!" Mary Jo laughed in delight and agreed with her that she was a big girl and that seemed to appease her for the moment. I don't know why but I reached down and picked Maggie back up and she giggled as she hugged me.

"You smell like Mommy too." It took me a moment to realize she was referring to Belinda as 'Mommy too' now as if it were her name. It made me smile. I loved that she said it that way not like Mommy #2 but Mommy too as in also. 'Sweet' I thought to myself… I must be getting soft.

"I know if I thought you could understand it I would explain, but you are too young, even if you are a big girl." She giggled as if I told her a great secret. Sookie was helping Mary Jo up from the floor and talking about making everyone some lunch while we discussed the future and living situations.

The rest of day went by with great ease and everyone seemed to be getting along really well. Mary Jo had agreed to stay the evening with us so Pam and Alexander could meet Maggie. Belinda also called her father, Christean and he was there in a flash. He was in love with Maggie within moments and danced with her around the room, much to the toddlers delight. I could tell Elizabeth was feeling a little left out so I took her in my arms and danced her around. She was such a sweet baby and I smiled saying,

"Your daddy is going to smell me all over you and he is not going to like knowing I have held you all day… no he's not… daddy is a dork, can you say dork… yes he is… a pasty ole…" I was cut off from my description of Compton with two shrill voices.

"Eric!" Sookie and Sarah chimed at the same time.

"You see how they ruin my fun Elizabeth?" She clapped as I continued to talk to her, "You are a sweet little thing." I wanted to add 'Compton does not deserve you,' but thought it wise to leave that off since I was already in trouble with Sookie. The children were playing when I felt Pam as she rose for the evening.

Pam stood in the doorway looking at Maggie before walking slowly toward her. She looked at the toddler with her head turned to the side, studying her closely. I could feel her hesitation, trepidation and a little fear, but most of what I felt coming from her for the child was love, overwhelming love. Maggie seemed to see Pam as she soon as she walked into the room and made her way from where she was playing with Elizabeth toward Pam. She reached her little arms up for Pam to pick her up and after a moment of hesitation Pam did just that.

"Well hello. You are a beautiful little thing." She looked to Belinda and continued, "She smells just like you and her eyes… she has your eyes." Belinda introduced Mary Jo to Pam, but Pam barely looked away from Maggie. Maggie wanted to impress Pam so she did her new trick with the dancing light in her hand and Pam threw her head back and laughed as she said,

"You are a brilliant girl… come we must go shopping."

"Pam, honey, you can't take her shopping it's almost her bed time." Belinda chided.

"Of course, I am not _taking _her anywhere! We are going to go use the laptop in Eric's office…" then to the child she said, "Maggie, can you say 'Jimmy Choo's'? He is a wonderful designer who has just started a children's line of shoes." As Pam carried Maggie toward my office I felt for my back pocket right as Pam said over her shoulder,

"It doesn't matter if the cards in your pocket or not Eric… 'The Vault', remember?" Sookie looked confused so I said,

"She has the numbers and pins to my credit cards memorized…" I paused for a moment and said, "Well at least take Elizabeth with you too and get her something… God knows Compton will take her to Old Navy and have her in khakis by Friday if we don't prevent it!" I laughed and so did Pam. Sarah did not but she gave me a small giggle and said,

"I happen to like how he looks in his _Khakis._" It was the way she said 'khakis' that let me know that was not what she was talking about and I swear to the gods I threw up a little in my mouth as she walked down the hall after Pam and Maggie.

**SPOV **

'_Well that shut him up.' _I laughed as I swore Eric looked like he was going to throw up right where he stood. I giggled a little to myself and he shot me a look that he had not given me since the first night we meet. He looked at me with that same dangerous yet somewhat playful look when he said,

'_I had a psychic once. It was incredible…' I remembered the glint in his eye as he hoped to scare me, but when I replied,_

_Did the psychic think so?' There was the change in his eyes as if he could not believe he had been challenged, but decided he liked it._

I shook my head, as did Eric, while we shared the same memory. Everyone else were interested in the babies and followed after them as he and I stood our ground and stared at each other. The memory had turned him on and made him want to do real bad things to me. He looked at me and growled,

"I wanted you that night… So. Damn. Bad." He punctuated each word as he stalked toward me. I was feeling daring so I asked,

"And tonight Master, do you want me So. Damn. Bad. Tonight?" I purred in my sexy kitten voice that he loved.

"Yes. I can smell how bad you want me… couple it with your blood and I am going insane with desire. I want to pretend Sookie. I want to pretend it is that night…" _OH MY GOD… yes this is going to be a great night _was my main thought but we had a house full of guests and I had to think fast.

"Master, I will take care of our guests and be right down to _see to your every need_," I smiled and he growled. I hurried down the hall to Eric's office and practically ripped Pam out of the office.

"Sookie, what is it? I am not spending that much…"

"Pam, shut up…" she looked at me with shock, but I just kept babbling, "I need a favor for me, make sure everyone eats and has a room to sleep in if they want to stay over. If Sarah stays make sure she calls Bill to tell him where she is… she might forget. If Bill comes over, he CAN NOT stay in the house overnight if he shows up… that is just too weird… put him in the guest house farthest away from the house….ummm… and if I am forgetting anything just take care of it okay?"

"Of course Mistress, but may I ask you something?"

"Sure but make it quick." I was already turning to go down the hall when she asked,

"Who do you think tasted better, the psychic or you?" she grinned as I realized that Eric and I needed to up our shields around our nest mates.

"Stay out of my head, Pam!"

"Hello pot, meet kettle!" she snarked at me as she laughed all the way back in the offices as I made my way to my extremely horny vampire.

**EPOV**

I laid out Sookie's little white dress with the red flowers on it… damn I loved fucking her in that dress. I wanted her so damn bad I was about to explode. She walked in and saw the dress and asked,

"So what's the game?" she smirked at me.

"You come into Fangtasia to meet me, but instead of leaving with Compton… you leave with me. I want to you to react to the night as if you would NOW."

"So you want to go back in time and have me 'know then what I know now' is that right?"

"Not exactly, I want you to react to the events of that night as if you would _now_." She understood what I wanted then. I wanted confident, sexy Sookie not nervous, unaware of her beauty Sookie. She smiled as she took the dress off the bed and whispered,

"Use the wing back chair over there as your throne and I will be right out Master." Damn she will be the final death of me.

She walked out of the other room looking as she had that first night and straight up to me with two pieces of paper in her hand. She carried herself with confidence and turned away from me before looking back to me as she said,

"Mr. Northman, I am Sookie Stackhouse and my friend Mr. Compton says you might be able to help me."

"Really? Well I am sure I can find _some way_ to help you, especially if Compton is what you are used to."

"Mr. Northman, if you don't mind, this is very important. My brother is being framed for murder and I need to know if you know either of these girls." She held up the two pieces of paper and I smiled up at her creativity answering,

"I have seen them here before, this one, wreaked of desperation and I had no use for her, but this one, this one I have tasted."

"Dawn? You knew her?"

"Yes, biblically."

"When you say you tasted her, what exactly does that entail?"

"I fed on her. She was just a feed. She offered and I took."

"What all did you take?" I could feel a bolt of jealously coming from her and I liked it so I added fuel to the flame by saying,

"In my world Miss Stackhouse, women throw themselves at me all the time; they are what I call a feed and a fuck. That is what your friend, Dawn was to me."

"So do you have any idea who killed her?"

"Are you accusing _me_?"

"No, that would be rude _of me_, to come into your bar and accuse you of wrong doing. I am simply asking a question, do you know anything about her death?" She was standing her ground.

"No. I don't." Her head whipped around and she looked to the door. The way the bedroom was set up the door would have been where the dance floor was at Fangtasia. She was playing this to a 'T'; by the gods, she was amazing.

"Mr. Northman, we have to get out of here."

"Why?"

"There is going to be a raid."

"Are you a cop?"

"No, you just have to trust me. Come on, come with me and I will explain everything to you. I promise." I realized I would have. If she had said that to me that night I would have left with her. I wrapped my arms around her and levitated off the floor.

"You can fly?"

"Yes, I have many talents. Do you realize you just left your date Miss Stackhouse?"

"Yes. I have many talents too and he was not my boyfriend, he was simply my escort."

"Would you like to show me some of your other many talents Miss Stackhouse?"

"Only if you'll call me Sookie and I can call you Eric." She leaned in and kissed me, as always, leaving me wanting for more.

"Eric, what do you do with the women you feed from?"

"Would you like me to show you?" I asked with surprise, unsure if we were still playing or not.

"Yes, please show me." She wanted to know what it was like to be a fangbanger, but I looked at her and was not sure if I could take her like that or not. She felt my hesitation and whispered,

"It's just a game baby, now take me like you wanted to that night… take me… oh and Eric I am still having my little problem." She smirked and I lost my damn mind.

I pulled the dress off her and found her nude beneath. That was fabulous. I dropped to my knees and buried my face between her legs and fed. She tasted incredible and I brought her hard and fast as she slumped forward over my shoulder. I put her on her stomach on the bed and pulled her up onto her knees pushing into her thrusting over and over. It felt incredible as she quivered around me and I pulled her body up flush against me rubbing her sweet little clit with one hand and her breast with the other. I pinched and pulled her nipples gently and she threw her head back against me crying out,

"Eric… oh… yesss… please more… more" I rubbed her little bundle of throbbing nerves harder and bit her neck making her come hard. When she collapsed forward I pulled her to her hands and knees again and growled,

"I am not done with you yet. You wanted to be my fangbanger… I will make you my fangbanger… use you like the dirty girl you are. That's what you want, right?" I kept thrusting into her giving her pleasure as she went wild and begged even more.

"Oh God yes! Treat me like a little fangbanging whore… oh god yes… Master" I drove into her harder and harder, determined to wear her out. When I felt her knees shaking I pulled out of her momentarily and flipped her to her back taking her legs and putting them over my shoulders before driving back into her hot wet core. I felt her quake and knowing she had orgasmed I decided to have a little more fun.

"Did you come?"

"Yes, oh yes."

"Did I give you permission to come?" I said in a stern voice.

"No."

"NO… you come without permission and now you disrespect me?"

"Oh Master, I_ am_ sorry, but I'm only a naughty little faery… you'll have to _teach me_ how to behave." I was still buried inside her, as she spoke, and when she clinched her muscles around me it made me come hard. I took a moment to recover and then said,

"Yes, I think I _do_ need to teach you a lesson. Come here." I pulled her up and put her face down in my lap.

"Lick me clean and then we will discuss your punishment." She licked and sucked my cock and balls while I moaned in pleasure. I loved that she was willing to do this.

"Is that good master?" she looked up at me and smiled.

"Yes that is good, now lay over my lap it is time for your punishment."

"Yes master." I could smell her arousal and knew how much she was looking forward to being punished. She wanted to feel me spank her… she loved it. I brought my hand down not being as careful as I used to be, she was vampire now and could take more so I gave more. She was wiggling and moaning with each smack as she began arching her back up in effort to get me to hit harder but I was not willing to strike her and that was the next step. I could not bring myself to do it so I gave her another punishment. I took my finger and pushed it in her back entrance.

"Oh Eric…" was all she said but the wiggling and moaning continued as I placed another finger inside her sweet pussy and rubbed her little clit with my thumb. She was panting and screaming my name and other vulgar suggestions that made me hard with desire. I wanted her. I wanted to fuck every hole she had and I decided I would. I flipped her over and I began with her mouth.

"Open your mouth and suck until I come. I want to come on you… all over you…" She did just that. I came hard but I was still hard as a rock as I told her to get on her hands and knees. Reaching into the nightstand I grabbed some lube to use on my cock. She watched me rub the lube on my dick making her moan, so I took my time and rubbed it all over and even down my balls. I then pushed into her tight little ass and fucked her like I had wanted to for so long. She was begging and I wanted to give her what she wanted,

"PLEASE MASTER, my… ahh… _your_ PUSSY NEEDS YOU! OH!" she screamed when I pulled out and flipped her to her back and pressed inside her. I loved the feeling her hot wet core wrapped around my cock and I thrust into her core over and over. I pleased her and teased her. I would bring her to the edge and back off before finally giving in and letting her have her release. I leaned over and softly whispered,

"I am very proud of you. You may come now my sweet little faery." She screamed as she released and her orgasm brought on my own before we collapsed on the bed together. I held her close to me as I playfully admitted,

"Sookie, you can roll play better than anyone I have ever met. You could be a Hollywood actress."

"Nope, don't wanna; I'd have to be all stick skinny."

"Oh and I would not enjoy that; I like your curves."

"Are you going to love them when I am all fat and preggers?" she giggled. I reverently laid my hand on her stomach and lost myself in her eyes.

**SPOV**

One minute we were joking around and the next he had that look in his eyes that told me I was his whole entire world. He laid his hand on my stomach as he looked in my eyes, sending me all of his love through the bond, and then he spoke saying,

"I will cherish every moment of watching my children, our children, grow inside you. You will grow, yes, but look at what you will be carrying inside you; you will be carrying our love. We will make children out of our love. Sookie, there is no greater gift than the gift of you carrying our babies." He smiled and looked at his hand that was resting so softly on my stomach. I was so lost in our love that I could no longer fight the sleep that was over taking me. Eric could feel me trying to stay awake but the pull to sleep was just too strong. He began to encourage me to sleep and not fight the need to rest.

"Sookie, you need to sleep my beloved… sleep and rest for me now, rest." He sealed the deal when he began to sing the song of the stars to me, and I fell asleep listening to his beautiful voice.

The next few days flew by and there was so much going on, we were getting to know Maggie and Mary Jo. We were preparing for Hadley, Remy, Hunter and Sophie-Anne to temporarily move into the guesthouse until they left for France after the wedding. We were also getting the Bon Temps house ready for Mary Jo, Maggie, Belinda and Pam to move into and I was beginning to draw up plans for the babies' nursery.

On top of all that, I was constantly working on planning the wedding and avoiding John Quinn, since he gave me the absolute creeps. For the most part Pam dealt with him and that was fine by me. I was still struggling with the dress that was in the process of being made for me. I had been fitted but the deeper we were in to making it the more I disliked it. My desk was cluttered with all the paperwork and laptops from the planning center, so I padded over to Eric's desk and climbed into his huge chair and began to work. I was frustrated and just could not convey on to paper what it was that I wanted. Lillianna walked in to check on me and with her bright smile she surveyed the carnage that was the library asking.

"Sweetheart, are you sure you are going to be okay with me leaving tomorrow? This is quite the mess. I can pop back and forth and still help you, Belinda and Sarah." She had been helping me plan the wedding and knew I was stuck. I also knew she had been researching how Sarah could be Fae but so far we had no leads, none.

"I don't like my wedding dress," I confessed. She handed me a sketch book, pen and said,

"Close your eyes and envision your perfect dress."

"I can't really draw. That is the problem, I can't explain to them what I want, but I can see it in my head. I have been able to see it since I was a little girl."

"Do a favor for me okay? Try for poor little ole me… please?" She gave me the puppy dog eyes and I nodded as I turned toward the paper with pen in my hand. I cleared my head as I thought only of the dress; the one dress I had dreamed of since I was a little girl and all of a sudden I was in that old familiar dream. I was looking at myself from my groom's point of view and the dress was a vision that would make Vera Wang weep.

I could see my family and everyone else I loved was there smiling and crying happy tears. I turned to see my groom and saw his long hair, his long blonde hair and I realized then that I had dreamed not only of the dress, but the groom all of my life. It was Eric. In every dream I had had since I was a little girl, Eric was who I walked down the aisle to. When I came back to myself I was crying tears of joy and I also realized Lillianna was taking the paper from me and she gasped as she looked at it.

"Sookie, this is… this is the family wedding dress. Laurell/Einin was supposed to wear it when she married Niall but she did not. She wore it when she married Marcus. I wore it when I married Alexander and now you will wear it." She too now had tears of joy.

"Oh Sookie, we should wake the boys and tell them we have to pop to Laurell and Marcus' and get the dress!" Lillianna was one of the few people who understood how badly it worried Eric to wake and not feel me close to him and if he woke and felt me as far away as Eastern Europe we could have a problem.

"Well you know what will happen if we wake them up now…" I smiled.

"So we leave in an hour. Its only 10 am after all." She grinned.

"Where are Belinda, Maggie and Mary Jo?"

"Belinda is helping Maggie and Mary Jo settled into the Bon Temps house now that Remy, Hadley, Hunter and Sophie Anne are moving in here." I knew that all that was happening today, but I just spazzed out. I hated that I felt like such a horrible Aunt. I had not been to see Hunter in almost 2 weeks and swore to myself I would make it up to them all after the wedding and honeymoon.

"Sookie where are you?"

"I'm feeling guilty for not spending enough time with Hunter, Maggie and Elizabeth not to mention Hadley."

"Sookie you are under a great deal of stress, but no one loves their family more than you and they all know it. Now, let's go wake our boys, have some fun and then go pick up your wedding dress." She told me with a sly smile.

**EPOV **

I felt her before my eyes opened, Sookie. She was laying on top of me her bare skin flush to mine and she was circling me with her magic. It amazed me how good she could make me feel. It was obvious to me what my Lover needed. She needed me to love her nice and easy. I was trying to get my breathing and heart rate to even out and she knew this as she laid her little hand on my heart and whispered,

"My love, my sweet love, I love to listen to your heart beating." She laid her head back down on my chest and began to scent me. Damn it there is nothing better than this, I love our roll playing, I love dominating her and her dominating me, but this… this was what I existed for, moments like this when we opened the bond and let the love flow between us freely.

"Lover, let me worship you…" I laid her back and placed sweet kisses all over her face. I could not stop telling her how much I loved her.

"I love you Sookie, I love you my sweet wife. Oh, I love you… I love you… I love you…" She had tears of happiness rolling down her cheeks and as I kissed them away she smiled at me and said,

"I dreamed that I was yours all this time… I have dreamed of you all my life and now I have you… I get to have you forever." I was not sure what she was talking about, but she let me slip into her mind and there she stood in a gossamer gown that seemed somewhat fuzzy to me as if she were keeping me from seeing all of it but what I could see was that she was walking toward me smiling. I could see her beautiful face full of joy and happiness. I understood that it was her dream, the dream she had had all her life. She had always dreamed of me being her husband. I felt my chest puff up with pride knowing I was all she had ever wanted.

"Love me Eric; make love to me," she whispered. As her magic enveloped us I reached between us and began to play my hand between her legs finding she was wet for me… so wet.

"So wet my love… so wet..."

"Only for you my Maker… it feels so good when you do that. I love when you pet me," she moaned out and pressed closer to me. Her magic was whirling around us in a way I had not felt before and I reached my hand out to touch the light. I was holding her with one hand as I push my hand into the light and discovered it was warmth, comfort and love; it was our love in actual form. I could wait no longer and moved back over top of her and I slipped inside her.

We moved in time together wrapped in our cocoon of magic and love. She continually scented my chest, her sweet little face rubbing and kissing. She was lost in me and I in her there were no other people in the world in this moment only she and I. I could feel my orgasm building and from the ministrations that she was making I knew she was close too. I looked down into her eyes and confessed,

"I have never felt loved so completely… I love you Sookie… I love you… you are my world… my world…" She arched her back and pressed harder against me as she panted out,

"I love you… oh Eric… you are so good to me. I love you." I began to make the long drawn out strokes that she loves for me to do and she squirmed underneath me as she looked down to watch me press in and out of her. She loved to watch me make love to her and I loved to watch her face as she watched; and as she came. I felt her body quake as she screamed out she loved me and I came to my completion right behind her. I collapsed down on her and she clung to me as if to let me know she liked the weight of my body against her.

"It makes me feel safe." she whispered and I replied,

"Everything about our love makes me feel safe." I smiled down at her as I enjoyed the sensation I was feeling. I had never felt anything like this and knew it had to be her and her magic, but then she asked,

"Eric, I feel so complete… like we waited so long for that moment. What did you feel when you touched the light?"

"I don't know how to explain it but I knew it was our love. That it was a physical manifestation of our love is the only way I can describe it." I offered and she nodded in agreement as she added,

"I thought that too. It was wonderful… I mean, I like it when we get all down and dirty, but that was…"

"Magnificent… fantastic… incredible… unbelievable…" I offered with a grin and she giggled and said,

"I was going to say wonderful again." She continued giggling as we just held each other for a few moments before we got up to clean up and that is when I realized how early it was. I laughed remembering our prior conversation to this very end.

"Sookie, is there a reason I am up this early?"

"Oh yes, I was supposed to just come down to let you know that Lillianna and I have to pop to Laurell's and Marcus' to pick up… something…" she paused and turned away from me.

"My bullshit meter is reading false Sookie… Do you wish me to go with you?"

"You don't have to come, but if you want to see them, sure." I would never turn down an opportunity to see my true maker, Laurell so I said,

"Yes Lover, I would like that very much." We then proceeded to get dirty once again before we were clean.

**A/N: okay so I cut it there baby minions otherwise the flow got all wonky… ****PLEASE REVIEW FOR MOMMA****… **I would love to make 1000, but no worries if I don't I love you anyways! Any mess ups are mine and not my beloved **BETA SASSYVAMPMAMA or my lovely CONTENT EDITOR KJWRIT**


	49. Chapter 49 What the Hell is Wrong w You

Chapter 49 – What's wrong with you?

**A/N: **I love my BETA **Sassyvampmama** and my Content Editor **kjwrit** I thank them for putting up with me. We are so close to 1000 reviews I just cant believe it you guys rock!** I LOVE YOU BABY MINIONS! Please leave me a review if you can! I love hearing from you all.**

_**LAST TIME: (We found out that Maggie is a very talented little faery in training. The entire family are in love with the baby girls. Eric is very fond of little Elizabeth and Maggie which makes Sookie see what a wonderful dad he will be. Pam takes the girls shopping and while everyone is busy with that Eric and Sookie get down and dirty. We then flashed about 10 days forward while the family is playing topsy turvy with Remy, Hadley, Hunter and Sophie-Anne moving one of Eric and Sookie's guest houses until after the wedding while Pam and Belinda prepare to move in the Bon Temps house with Mary Jo and Maggie. Lillianna helps Sookie design her dress which turns out to look exactly like the 'family' wedding dress she has dreamed of the dress all her life and of marrying Eric. The girls decide to pop to get the dress, but they know they have to tell their boys before going. Once awake Sookie and Eric have a sweet love scene…)**_

**And then… EPOV**

"**Eric, I feel so complete… like we waited so long for that moment. What did you feel when you touched the light?"**

"**I don't know how to explain it but it was our love. It was a physical manifestation of our love is the only way I can describe it." I offered and she nodded in agreement as she added,**

"**I thought that too. It was wonderful… I mean, I like it when we get all down and dirty, but that was…"**

"**Magnificent… fantastic… incredible… unbelievable…" I offered with a grin and she giggled and said,**

"**I was going to say wonderful again." She continued giggling as we just held each other for a few moments before we got up to clean up and that is when I realized how early it was. **

"**Sookie, is there a reason I am up this early?"**

"**Oh yes, I was supposed to just come down to let you know that Lillianna and I have to pop to Laurell and Marcus' to pick up… something…" she paused and turned away from me.**

"**My bullshit meter is reading false Sookie… Do you wish me to go with you?"**

"**You don't have to come, but if you want to see them, sure." I would never turn down an opportunity to see my true maker, Laurell so I said,**

"**Yes Lover, I would like that very much." We then proceeded to get dirty again before we were clean.**

**SPOV**

Lillianna, Eric and I were preparing to pop over and get Alexander from the guesthouse, since he could not go out in the sunlight so we were to get him and then pop ourselves halfway around the world to see Laurell when I heard a familiar little voice.

"Aunt Suekee!" Suddenly I was tackled and I could hear Eric laughing.

"Uncle Erwic! Let's play… on the jungle gym out back! Come on…" Hunter was pulling on Eric's hand in an attempt to move him.

"Little man, I wish I could but I must accompany your Aunt Sookie and the others on a short trip. We will be back soon I think and then we can play." I knew the question before Hunter asked, even without my ability. You don't tell a 5 year old you are going somewhere without the next question being asked.

"Can I come too? I wanna go! I wanna go see Gammy too!" He held onto my hand and Eric's as he jumped up and down and looked back at his mom hopefully. I knew he had seen where we were going in mine or Eric's head so I thought quickly,

"Not this time sweetheart, this is a quick trip. Hunter, I tell you what. I am going to put on a batch of brownies in the oven and I need someone here to watch the timer. Can you do that for me? Can you stay here and when the timer goes off tell your mom so she can get them out for me?"

"I guess so Aunt Suekee, but do you promise you'll play when you get back?" he said with a sad but hopeful and trusting little voice.

"I promise." I said as I crossed my heart and pinkie swore.

"You and Uncle Erwic, right?" he smiled at Eric and my sweet husband replied,

"Yes we _will_ play with you today and this evening!"

"And the babies… they are coming over later. I love Cousin Maggie and wittle Lizabell. She is not my cousin like Maggie, but I wuv her too." He declared this with such conviction it made me smile as Eric laughed and added,

"You would be wise to watch your heart around that little Elizabeth. She will be a heartbreaker that one." I had a sudden flash of Hunter all grown up with Elizabeth hugging and smiling up at him while wearing a beautiful white dress, but then it was gone just as suddenly as it entered my mind. I wondered if it was a vision or if it was simply wishful thinking. Hadley looked at me thoughtfully and said,

"What is it Sookie?" She realized I saw something.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Elizabeth and Hunter become fast friends." I gave her a knowing smile and she laughed,

"Oh no… I don't even want to think about it…" She and I seemed to be the only ones who knew what I was thinking and Hunter was completely unaffected. I hurried and put a batch of my now family famous brownies together and into the oven. I set the timer and Hunter promised to watch them and tell his mom when they needed to be taken out of the oven.

We left to get Alexander, who was waiting patiently and as he took Lillianna's hand I was again struck by how gentle he was with her. He reminded me so much of Eric. He could be so fierce and kill someone with one swift strike, but he could also be so loving with his family by the same token. When he heard that Maggie was going to be at the house when he returned he was happy that he would be able to spend time with her as he thought of her as his grandchild too; just as Christean was his son, Belinda was his granddaughter and Maggie was his great grandchild. I smiled to myself as I watched Eric and Alex joking around and laughing at each other's expense before Lillianna broke up their joke fest.

"Alright, I will pop with Sookie first so I can teach her how to go and then we will pop back for you boys. Eric you may feel weak with Sookie being so far away from you. You two have not been away from each other since your pledging and turning, so it could be a touch painful. Nothing to intense just a really hard pull through the bond. Just be prepared and know that she will be right back for you, alright?"

"I don't know that I like this… are you sure this is safe for her?" Eric asked, not asking about him but me.

"She will be weak as well, but it will only be for a moment and she has to learn where she is popping to so that she can take you with her. This is not a simple pop across the state this is across the ocean and then some. You know where we live; one wrong move and you can pop into that cavern instead of the estate." She advised and he took it in kind and nodded.

"Are you ready Sookie?"

"Yes… wait, did you call Laurell?"

"They won't be up quite yet."

"I just don't want to get there and get detained with Eric here hurting."

"We won't Sookie, its one quick pop; 30 seconds max."

"Alright, let's do it." I said as I kissed Eric and whispered,

"I'll be right back." He nodded and kissed me hard. I took Lillianna's hand and she said,

"Take a deep breath and feel your way with me." Somehow I knew exactly what she meant. Then we popped and one minute I was in the guesthouse and the next I was in Marcus' study. I knew it was his study due to the fact that it was set up exactly like Eric's. I remembered Eric telling me about that long ago, but then I felt the pain in my chest. I was disoriented and in great pain; I could barely feel him and felt that something was wrong. I looked at Lillianna and said,

"I don't feel well. I don't like being this far away from him. I want to go get him."

"Alright, let's go back and get the boys. Did you feel how to do it?"

"Yes, I can pop back to him without holding your hand. Let's go." I was in a hurry to get to him. We popped back and there he was lying on the ground; he was obviously in pain holding his chest.

"Eric!" I ran to him and wrapped around him. "Alexander, what happened?"

"He was fine at first, but then he just went down on his knees and rolled to his side."

"We forgot about… magic… castle… Marcus…" Eric was trying to explain something when Lillianna went whiter than normal for a vampire and she said,

"Oh no, Marcus has the castle warded, when you are there no one can feel you… bond or no bond… it was done long ago to protect Eric from Ocella. I just didn't realize how much of Eric's blood you had in you. I know you are his, but your turning is so unusual." I was pretty sure I understood, when I popped into the castle Eric could no longer feel me due to old magic that ironically had been placed there to protect him. I continued to hold him and rock him in my arms as he moaned. Suddenly he sat up and looked at me,

"You were gone… I lost… you." He was gasping again but beginning to breath more normally now.

"No sweetie, it was the castle, remember, just the castle and magic. We are okay, I'm okay." I opened the bond all the way pushing love and comfort to him. He was beginning to sit up and I knew he hated seeming weak in front of the others but I calmed him by saying,

"Eric, please take it easy, go slow sweetie. What did it feel like?"

"Like when Lydia died. It felt so much like when I lost Lydia, but so much worse. I was going to die, I could feel it; I was meeting my final death."

"Why?" I asked in confusion but it was Alexander, who answered,

"You are so tightly bound, neither of you will ever be able to survive without the other." As he was explaining I heard a commotion and I felt panic and fear. It was Belinda. She ran into the room and basically collapsed into my arms. Eric reached and pulled her to us as well.

"I couldn't feel you and then I couldn't feel you." She said as she looked at me and then Eric. We rocked her and I had a horrible realization,

"Pam! Where is she resting, here or Bon Temps?"

"We stayed here last night."

"Okay, let's go down and check on her." I popped us all down stairs and as we practically ran into the room Pam was laying on the floor on her side, dead to the world with dried red tears streaking down her face. Belinda ran to her,

"Pam… Honey please…" She lit her hands and magic filled the room while we watched as Belinda used her power to wake Pam for the first time. Pam sat up and looked around in confusion, fear and then relief.

"What happened?"

"It's alright, we are all okay." I cooed as I took her into my arms and rocked her gently. I wrapped my other arm around Belinda and whispered the same to her. I took my time explaining to Pam what happened and she nodded as if she understood. Then she said,

"Let me get this straight, you went to see Laurell and once there an old magic that was put there to protect Eric, not only almost killed him but all of us?"

"I'm not sure, but it seems so." I answered but Belinda asked,

"Why did I lose the bond with you and Eric but not Pam?" Pam answered this with her own theory but it was a solid one.

"Maybe we would have survived, not that we would have wanted to, but perhaps it would not have killed us as we are not as tightly bound to them as they are to each other, perhaps I am not totally sure. It is just a theory of mine."

"I believe your theory is sound Pamela, now that we know you are okay I would like for you to go back to rest."

"Oh no! I have not been awake during the day time for over 2 centuries… I am making a day of it." She smirked at Belinda and got just the response she wanted,

"Well, I did tell Mary Jo I would be gone for a little while and Jessica and Sarah are there with her, so I could stay for a little while before I make another trip." She smiled a sexy smirk at Pam, which she happily returned so Eric and I took that as our cue and went back upstairs to meet up with Lillianna and Alexander. We prepared to pop again but this time I was clutching Eric's hand in mine and I whispered,

"This really frightened me, more than anything has in a long time. I can't ever lose you Eric." I was terrified, knowing that Eric's safety lay with me now more than ever. It was mid-afternoon by the time we were finished with all the distractions and where we were popping to would now be late in the evening. So, Marcus and Laurell would be up now as well. We rang them before we left just to make sure we had no more episodes.

I was a bundle of nerves as Eric said, "Lillianna take Alexander on ahead, I need a moment with my wife." She nodded and popped out of sight.

"Sookie, I am fine. Stop whatever is going on in that pretty little head of yours now."

"It's just like I always feared, remember what I told you my greatest fear is?" I looked at him knowing he knew what I was talking about, he hasn't forgot a conversation in a 1000 years, well except for when he was cursed,

"Your greatest fear is that I would turn you and then die while protecting you, but that is not going to happen little one. We are going to have children together and a long happy existence."

"I don't know how to live with the knowledge that if I die, if I get killed somehow, that it will kill you too! That is too much for one person to live with Eric. I have lost EVERYONE I have ever loved. I can't lose you and I can't be the reason you die." I was borderline panicked and had not felt this way since last January. I felt totally out of control and unable to breath or understand reason.

**EPOV**

I had not felt this much fear and panic from my beloved since before I was cursed. Her panicked emotions reminded me of the night we went to that awful orgy and I had to carry her out of the house. Then it hit me, _'Well it worked then.'_ So I kissed her hard and whispered,

"I have you, you are safe Sookie." I walked her to the pool table in the back portion of the den and closed and locked the pocket doors behind us. I then turned and laid her on the pool table. I spread her legs and laid my body flush against hers while holding my body weight somewhat off of her hoping that my physical presence would help soothe her emotions and state of mind. She was still crying and unable to calm herself so I sent her my calm and resolve through our bond while cooing to her,

"I love you. You are safe, we will be together always… I love you, only you, always you." I stroked her hair as I kissed her again hard. She looked up into my eyes and as she hiccupped, which is always a good sign, she always hiccups when she stops crying, it was then she asked,

"Would you have really let our first time be on the hood of your car?"

"Yes, I am afraid I would have at that point. You were no longer a maiden and you wanted me as badly as I wanted you." I smiled and she wiped her eyes pulling me down for a kiss.

"Eric, I love you. Thank you for always knowing what I need. I love you so much." I sent love to her and kissed her face before we made love, nice and slow. I listened intently to her pants and moans, loving that I could make her feel like this. I carried her off to the en suite style bathroom that was downstairs and we attempted to clean up somewhat before leaving to join the others. She laughed and demanded that I let her change clothes and even though it was just the family that we were going to see, some place deep inside of me wanted the other vampire to smell me on her… mine… I would never cease to want to claim her.

"Leave my scent on you woman," I smirked,

"Alright, but you know that it will be you who gets teased, Alexander is afraid of me and Marcus loves me like I'm his little girl… actually you might get your ass kicked by my 'brother' and my 'daddy' for pillaging their sweet innocent angel." She giggled and I raised an eyebrow knowing she was probably right, but I would take my chances.

We popped to the place that I used to consider home and the only place of safety I knew as an infant vampire. I watched as Laurell turned from where she stood to face us smiling her sweet smile and I was reminded of when she gave me her blood so that I would not face the final death. Sookie looked at me curiously and instantly was lost in my memory as I remembered,

'_You are weak little one. You must drink sweetheart, please.' She pled with me as I turned to Marcus who lay close beside us and said,_

'_You must… it is alright little Viking. She loves you like a mother loves a son, if you die it will kill her, therefore I will share her blood with you. She will reclaim you to us… drink.' I curled into her side and pressed my back against her as she raised her bloody wrist to my mouth. I drank. Later I remember waking and whining as if a true infant would and she whispered,_

'_Drink my little vampire, drink.' I nuzzled against her neck and bit, drinking what I needed. She petted my head and sang sweet songs to me. I remember her rolling me to my back as she and Marcus held me close in their arms. It was my first taste of love and safety as a vampire. I remembered night after night as she cared for me and healed me from all my wounds. They were sweet memories._

Sookie wrapped her arms around her great grandmother and cried, "Thank you. Thank you for saving him for me. I'm so glad he has had you all these years and I am so glad you are my Gammy." Laurell looked to us and said,

"I understand how you two saw the same memory, but how did I?"

"It's Sookie's magic and our blood bonds or at least that is how it works with Pam and Belinda." I explained.

"Well, that explains that, I guess..." She smiled and stroked Sookie's hair. Marcus came to us and slapped me on the back as he turned to hug Sookie before turning back and looking me in the eye. He was not upset or mad, more of teasing manner, but with a touch of seriousness.

"Really, Eric? You mark the little one to come here? I am sorry and I do not mean to embarrass you little one," he paused as he turned to Sookie, "but really Eric this is in poor taste. You should not do her that way, it makes you no better than a common…" Laurell interrupted with a laugh,

"Marcus, you know how you told me you love Sookie like a daughter and you were afraid that it would one day cause you to over step your bounds regarding her and Eric's relationship?" She asked with a raised eyebrow and he nodded in response before Laurell finished, "Well this is that night. Now knock it off, they are young and it is a mark of love, not possession. Besides you used to do it, hell you still do it. Every time I have to see Niall to talk of the family you know you do it." She laughed and Marcus the 3000 year old vampire may or may not have pouted and mumbled,

"I do not… not really… do I?" Before Laurell could answer alone we all said in one voice.

"Yes." This caused him to burst into laughter as he hugged Sookie and said,

"I cannot help it! I love my daughter and my wife, what can I do if not defend their honor?" he continued laughing and so did we. We took care of the spell that was on the castle so that Sookie would be able to pop here without it hurting me; Ocella was dead after all and there was no need to hide me or my bonded since I was free of him. After we had been there for an hour or so the girls slipped away from us and it was obvious to me that they were up to something, but I let it go.

"So have you had any luck find Dermot?" I asked Marcus and Alexander.

"No, I have several leads, but nothing definitive as of yet. I am worried about the girl though. I worry that if we find him and he attempts to harm her again… this time we would have to kill him and I worry that it would break her. She puts up a good front but she is fragile; all of our women are strong but they are all fragile in their own way." Marcus answered. Alexander's face held an expression of worry and concern. He thought before he spoke and confessed,

"There are nights that… I know I should not, but I think we should find him and kill him; we should find him, kill him and never tell her." Before any of us could speak I heard a gasp as I turned to see Lillianna standing at the door.

"I was just going to tell you I was back, but I see that you are having a private conversation you did not want me to hear… Alex how could you?" she had tears gathering in her eyes as she turned to run in the direction of Laurell's Suite.

"SHIT! How the fuck does that always happen to me?" he screamed to us, though it was not directed at us.

"Follow her… tell her everything…" Marcus said as Alex turned to follow his broken bride.

"I used to do that all the time; speak before I thought of what Laurel would think. It has taken 1000 years for me to get it right… you boys put too much pressure on yourselves." Marcus smiled.

"Marcus, do you really think it will come to killing Dermot?"

"I do not know, but if he tries to kill the girl or harm any of the family I will have no choice but to kill him." In that moment Laurell and Sookie walked to the door. Laurell was levitating and glowing as her eyes lit up she spoke,

"NO ONE WILL KILL MY SON!" So much for him learning to think before he speaks, I thought to myself but before I could speak Sookie did,

"Will somebody please tell me what the HELL is wrong with you guys tonight?"

**SPOV**

Laurell, Lillianna and I slipped off to Laurell's huge suite for me to try on the dress. Lillianna had stepped out to tell Alex that she was going to pop the dress back to our house at some point while we were in the back, just so he would not worry about her. I was so excited to see the dress of my dreams.

Laurell walked to her closet, one that would have made even Oprah cry with envy. The clothes that lay inside were stylish and beautiful; very classic, very Laurell. Then there were the shoes; Pam would have orgasmed on the spot and then quite possibly died the final death. When I turned to see what I would have considered a closet in its own right, in my confusion I asked,

"Laurell what is in there?"

"That my love is where your wedding dress resides." I then saw that straight across from that closet was another and seeing my face Laurell said,

"That is my jewelry box. When you have been married for 1000 years to a stubborn, prideful man you too will have to have such a jewelry box." She laughed before saying, "I know you have your own crown, but I have something in there that I think will work for your veil and if you like, we can make it work with your crown." She smiled and hugged me.

"I think that would be wonderful Gammy!"

"Alright then, let's get you in that wedding dress and see if it needs a little magical alteration or if it is the perfect fit we all know it will be." Every once in a while I would remember how cheesy I thought Gammy's voice had sounded the first time I heard her speak. She sounded like every vampire in every vampire movie ever made before the great reveal. She had a deep Romanian accent thanks to the human part of her mother. I must have giggled out loud because she asked me with her eyebrow raised,

"Is something funny little one? Is there a reason you are laughing so?" I could not help but reply,

"Is it a requirement to be able to do that eyebrow thing in this family to be a part of it?"

"Yes, it is… do it now or I throw you out." She laughed.

"I was thinking about the night we met and I had no idea who you were. You claimed me as yours and I thought you were insane. I also thought that your voice, your accent was a fake. You know, 'cause you sounded like the vampires in all the Dracula movies…" I continued to go through her closet looking at all the clothes and shoes as she answered,

"AH.. Yes, Vlad; he is a descendant of my human family. I was never quite sure how he was kin to me, but that is why Eric has such a hard on for him." She said as she handed me a silk scarf that matched what I happened to have on.

"Oh I know Eric has a Dracula fetish! I try to ignore it." I laughed as did Lillianna who was trying on shoes and humming softly to herself.

"Oh yes, I am sure come October you will be hosting Dracula night at Fangtasia. I of course, am always required to be there just in case he shows up." I was about to laugh but then I said,

"Wait a minute there is a real Dracula?"

"No, but there is a Vlad Dracul Tepes and it is he that became known as your Dracula and yes he does exist. The story of him disappearing after his death and his bodying being gone are because he was turned vampire. I believe his maker was a… Godfrey or something like that."

"Oh my GOD, that is why Eric agreed to let me go to Dallas to find that missing vampire. That always made no sense to me… why he wanted to help the Dallas nest and then get there and stay in disguise the whole time…"

"Please tell me he did not do the Leif "nerdy" disguise?" Lillianna laughed as she shimmed back into the conversation from across the room with her newly put together outfit.

"Yes he did." I laughed as I adjusted my new scarf.

"Oh God, that is so funny. You know that most of the vampire world thinks that he is Leif Erikson right?"

"I know, even I asked him all about that one night. That was kinda a bad night for us. That was when I had to tell him about Bill and … well… you know." I dropped my happiness for a moment and Gammy hugged me tightly whispering,

"No… no sad thoughts tonight. Come let us see you in your dress." She opened the closet and there inside lay the most beautiful dress I had ever seen. I was in love with it in seconds and it was more than beautiful, it was absolutely perfect. Lillianna went to try to find the lace veil in the other closet leaving me and Gammy alone for a moment.

"Sookie, you know that Lillianna wants to find her father. I am worried that he will react poorly to it. I love my son but he has betrayed us over and over. I just don't know how to protect him and protect all of us too."

"Gammy I am sure it will all work out. We will get through it like everything else, as a family." I smiled. Lillianna came back into the room with the veil and place it atop my head as she smiled and advised me,

"Sookie, when I pop to your home to hide it I will put it in the guesthouse we are occupying and I'll bring back home some of our items this afternoon since Alex has to be back tomorrow for the council meeting." I looked back at the dress and Lillianna asked me,

"Thanks Lilli that sound great." I beamed as Gammy began to help me into the dress.

"Well, let's get it on you and see what it looks like." Laurell said happily. I was so excited. We very carefully took the dress out and began to put it on me. I was in dress up heaven. The dress slipped on like it had been made for me and when I turned to see myself in the mirror I swear it looked like I was glowing.

Laurell and Lillianna were standing with their hands over their mouths in an attempt not to squeal and I had the bond clamped down in an attempt to not let Eric know what I was doing. I was so happy and felt like I looked so beautiful. Laurell pulled a beautiful piece of lace from the other closet and told me that she felt we could secure it to my crown and use it as a veil.

"This was my great-grandmother's veil in her wedding. It is rumored to be even older, but that is as far back as I know. I think it will look lovely with your crown."

"I can't believe that this is finally happening. I mean, I know that I am pledged to Eric and he is already my husband but to have this ceremony means so much to me. Pam and I are including some Viking traditions along with the vampire and faery traditions. I figured that could be the human element of the wedding. The only thing I really want is a unity candle… Is that stupid that I want that?" I was babbling and they knew it but they let me have my "bridal" moment of happiness. Lillianna hugged me and said,

"Sookie, it is your wedding honey, you do what you want. Whatever will make it special for you is what you do. The only thing I wanted I could not have, so you make sure you have what you want." She smiled and I just knew that what she wanted was to have her father give her away.

"I am going to pop the dress home and then I am going to go check on Alexander. I will be back." She said happily. She let me twirl around happily one more time before I took off the dress and put it back in the bag for Lillianna to leave with it! Gammy and I then chatted about this and that it was a totally "girly" moment before I blurted out,

"Gammy, I am so happy!" We giggled like little girls and hugged each other giddly. We talked about all the things I wanted to see on my honeymoon with Eric and I was going to say something else but I was interrupted by Lillianna storming back into the room and throwing herself down on the bed.

"What's wrong Lilli?" Laurell cooed as she sat down on the bed beside her to pet her hair.

"They're all out there plotting to kill Daddy…" She was sobbing and I did not know what to do so I went back into Laurell's closet to retrieve my shoes. When I re-emerged Alexander was walking into the room with a look of remorse on his face.

"Lil, you know that I would not harm him as long as you are not in danger, but Precious, I will not have my hands tied. I will not promise you that I will not kill him because if he means to harm you I will have no other course of action. I am sorry, sweetheart." As far as honesty went I had to give it to Alexander he was being very honest and speaking from the heart.

"Come, we need to speak with Marcus and Eric." Laurell said in a very authoritative voice. I had a feeling that all the talk of her baby boy, Dermot being killed was getting to her. It was one thing to want to protect us all from him, but it was an entirely different thing to actually know he had to be killed to save all of us.

We walked to where Eric and Marcus were talking and into a conversation that I think Laurell did not expect to hear.

"Marcus, do you really think it will come to killing Dermot?" Eric asked and Marcus replied.

"I do not know, but if he tries to kill the girl or harm any of the family I will have no choice, but to kill him." Laurell was levitating and glowing as her eyes lit up she spoke,

"NO ONE WILL KILL MY SON!" She was beyond pissed and I had no idea what to say but I hated that my family seemed to be in so much turmoil.

"Will somebody please tell me what the HELL is wrong with you guys tonight?"

**A/N: So what do you think baby minions? I have to say that I had to change somethings around after this came out of EDIT so any mistakes are MINE and MINE alone... the characters however belong to CH (Except for Marcus, Laurell, Lillianna, Alexander, Maggie and Elizabeth they are from my twisted little mind!) **

** PLEASE REVIEW**


	50. Chapter 50 Sandra Who

**Chapter 50 – Sandra Who? **

A/N: I LOVE my content Editor **KJWRIT** and I will defend her until my dying breath! She is wonderful to me and to take the time to help me! I also love my **SASSYVAMPMAMA **and have decided that I love her so much I am going to move in with her… Now… how do I tell her… mmmm… hahahaha!

**Now I had a little request, so there is a FAMILY TREE at the end of this chapter: **

**LAST TIME: **_**(Sookie prepares to pop to Laurell and Marcus' castle with Eric, Lillianna and Alexander when Hunter comes in and wants to go to, but he accepts that he can't go that time. Sookie and Lillianna pop first so that Lillianna can teach Sookie how to find her way there. Once there Sookie feels something is wrong with Eric as she can barely feel him. She pops back to find him on the floor in pain. Magic that protects that castle and that was originally put in place to protect Eric had in-ad verdantly caused the problem. Sookie is worried that Eric's safety lays on her, but Eric soothes her. They pop to the castle together and Sookie finally sees her wedding dress and loves it. Marcus, Eric and Alexander discuss how to handle Dermot. Lillianna overhears the conversation about her dad and is upset with what she hears. Alexander attempts to soothe her as Sookie and Laurell go to check on Eric and Marcus when they hear an unsettling conversation…)**_

_**AND THEN**_

**SPOV**

**We walked into where Eric and Marcus were talking to a conversation that I think Laurell did not expect to hear.**

"**Marcus, do you really think it will come to killing Dermot?" Eric asked and Marcus replied.**

"**I do not know, but if he tries to kill the girl harm any of the family I will have no choice, but to kill him." Laurell was levitating and glowing as her eyes lit up she spoke,**

"**NO ONE WILL KILL MY SON!" she was beyond pissed and I had no idea what to say but I hated that my family seemed to be in so much turmoil.**

"**Will somebody please tell me what the HELL is going on with you guys tonight?"**

**EPOV**

_Oh hell, we are in trouble _was all I could think. I had seen Laurell mad like this only once before and it was the night that Lillianna had been taken to Fae against her will. She had wailed and was totally in-consolable at the time and I wondered if this time would have the same effect. Sookie was worried and seemed to be trying to control herself and calm her great grandmother as well, saying,

"Gammy, you need to calm down. No one is going to kill Dermot. We are going to find him and fix all this nonsense. You'll see." she soothed, but Marcus remained silent. Then something happened that I thought I would never see. Marcus walked to her and dropped to his knees.

"My beloved Queen, I would never willingly kill your boy. You know that I love him as my own, but if he raises a hand to harm you or the girls… you know what I am honor and duty bound to do. I will have no choice but to protect that which I am bound to. I love you my angel… I love you."

"I won't be able to stop myself. He is my son; I will die to protect him. It will pit me against you… even if he is trying to kill me… I know my own heart and I would never be able to allow his death." Laurell wept.

"It will not come to that, all will be well. Please my angel, do not cry." He stood taking her in his arms and cooing to her and when I looked over I saw Sookie's eyes had clouded over and she was reaching for me to hold her. I held her close and walked into the other room with her to give us all some privacy. I knew when she looked up at me there was something big going on through that little head of hers.

"Eric, we have to find him. If you and I find Dermot we can talk to him without putting Laurell in the middle. It has to be us, you and me. I don't want Pam or Belinda involved, it has to be us." she repeated several times. I adored her and her sense of family. She was trying to be the bravest little thing in the world and I could feel her resolve to do this.

"If that is what you think you need to do to protect our family then that is what we will do. But Sookie, if we are searching for him when you are pregnant you must promise to follow my lead. You cannot go off half-cocked with our babies inside you, little one. It is going to be hard enough for me to let you leave the house let alone let you look for a wayward faery, so you have to do it my way. Is this acceptable to you?" I sent a small pull through the bond to let her feel how serious I was about this and she smiled as she said,

"Yes, I understand. I promise I won't do anything stupid while I'm pregnant with the babies, either time." She added the last as an afterthought, but it made me smile. Thinking of Lars, the little one that would be our youngest always made me happy.

"You know little one, we need to be headed home soon. We have kingdom business to do and if I do not get home in time to play with Hunter, Maggie and Elizabeth I will be in trouble there as well."

"You are so good to them and they all love you so much. Elizabeth thinks you are the best thing since sliced bread or maybe mashed bananas would be a better example." She laughed before continuing, "But have you seen the way she looks at Bill? She really does love him. Little girls and their daddy's, well that's a special bond and I wish I still had my daddy. I wish he was still alive to walk me down the aisle to you when we get married."

"I know Lover. I am sorry all the people you love will not be there for our wedding, but I believe that in their own way they will be there with you, with us." I rubbed her little face and kissed her forehead.

"We should check on the family to let them know we need to pop home." We walked with caution back to the other room. Lillianna and Alexander were nowhere to be seen, but Laurell was practically encased in Marcus embrace. He had her wrapped up in his arms and I felt my hear pull as I saw her with red tears streaking down her beautiful face. I don't know if it was the maker/child bond that she and I seemed to share or if I was feeling Sookie's love for her 'Gammy', but either way the pain was almost unbearable. I went to them and embraced them as well.

"Laurell, please don't cry. Sookie and I will find him and bring him back to us. You will see all will be well my beloved maker." She let go of Marcus and held me in her arms,

"Oh my little Viking, this is not the way of it. I am supposed to protect you not the other way around. A mother is to protect her son not the other way around. Did I protect you enough little one? Did I fail you the way I failed Fintan and Dermot?" she asked rocking me in an effort to soothe me, but she was crying again. It was Sookie, who then spoke,

"Gammy, I saw how you protected and loved Eric so I know you loved and protected him enough. I wasn't there when Dermot left the family or when Fintan died so I don't know what happened, but I know your heart. I know how much you love us all and I know you did everything you could to keep them safe. Dermot left us on his own accord, not because of something you did. We **will** find him and we** will **fix all of this."

I knew then that Sookie and I would be very busy after our honeymoon keeping this very promise. The question was would she be up to the challenge once she was pregnant. I hoped the answer was yes and hoped that she would have an easy pregnancy. Aude's pregnancies were always so hard on her and she became so tired at the end. I worried for Sookie; would I lose her like I lost Aude? I could only hope and pray that I would not.

"Eric they have prenatal vitamins now, it won't be so hard on me. I love you so much." She smiled as she cupped my cheek in her hand then turning back to Laurell she said,

"We have to get back home, everyone is expecting us and we promised Hunter we would play with him."

"When his parents are comfortable with it will you pop him to visit me? I love that little angel. He looks so much like Fintan."

"Of course I will Gammy." As we were hugging Laurell and Marcus goodbye Lillianna and Alexander walked back into the room.

"We will pop back later tonight for the rest of our things." Alexander advised with a very sad Lillianna beside him. She looked spent, totally and utterly spent, as if she had no strength to pull any emotion to the surface whatsoever. She looked at Sookie with empty eyes and said,

"I will be over to see you on Friday to help with the wedding plans." She offered a weak, very weak smile and Sookie hugged her cousin and whispered something in her ear that made her smile again and nod. Sookie came to me and grasped my hand, but before she popped us home we offered them one last goodbye. Sookie popped us straight into our resting chamber and announced that she needed some time before we went up to spend time with the family. Lillianna was not the only one that was spent emotionally.

"Eric, do you really think Gammy is right? If Dermot comes against us will she choose him over us?"

"That is not what she meant Sookie. She meant she would die to protect us all." I had no idea how to explain this to her. Honesty with Sookie was always the best policy so I just said the sentence that I knew would break her little heart. She had already buried one grandmother, what would it do to her to lose Laurell too?

"Sookie, she meant she would die with him. That she would not be able to let any of us kill him, that she would have to do it and by killing him she too would die."

"NO! I can't lose her I just got her back! Eric, we have to find him first and fix this!"

"We will do our best Sookie; she is my maker in my heart so I too cannot bear to lose her. We will do whatever it takes my mate, whatever it takes." She was crying in my arms and I hated when she cried. I rocked and cooed to her while she rubbed her little face on my chest, marking me with her unique scent. I had a crucial meeting with Rasul for State business later tonight and I would have to remember to shower. I could not let the others smell how good she smelled or give away that she was vampire now. We were still not quite sure how to handle or announce what she was especially when there was the danger she would be in once she was pregnant with our children.

If there was such a thing as an ideal vampire mate it would be a day walking, baby making, power wielding, and faery/vampire hybrid. She would be the target of every male and even some female vampires in the world. I would have to stay on my toes to keep her safe and I would do whatever it took while having no qualms about using the little army I had already amassed. There was Laurell, Marcus, Alex, Lilli, Pam, Belinda, Felipe, Constance, Russell, Bart, Niall, Claudine, Christean, Jason, Bill, Alcide and Sam… and I'm sure that there were others too. I kept my mind shielded while I ran all the possibilities or so I thought until she said,

"Eric, why are you thinking names?"

"I was thinking of all the people that are on our side Lover. People, who would protect us, protect you."

"Protect me? I can protect me. Your mind is doing that snake pit thing it does when you are plotting and planning. What are you up to?" she asked with genuine concern in her voice.

"Lover, when it becomes apparent to the world that you are a vampire that can day walk, have babies and still maintain your faery status and powers… you will be a target."

"The babies too, right?" she asked in that small frightened voice she used to use months ago with me and hearing it again made me cringe to think she was that frightened.

"Yes, my mate, the babies will be a huge target, just as we knew they would, but together we will protect them and I will protect you."

"And I will protect you Eric. I will never let anything harm you or our babies. I will kill anything that comes near me and mine! I have not waited all my damn life to be happy only to have it taken away. No one will ever take you or them from me!" She stomped her little foot and I knew she meant business then. I smiled and nodded in agreement knowing I did not have to worry as much about her anymore now that she had the power and the will to protect herself. She was no longer the frail human girl who wandered into my bar with Compton a mere year ago. No, she was no longer that sweet girl with innocent blue eyes full of hope and possibilities, no- now she was a warrior with a killer's heart when it came to protecting that which was hers, and lucky for me, _**I**__ was hers_.

**SPOV**

I tried to calm myself down and clear my mind thinking that Hunter was somewhere in the house. I always tried to shield Hunter from all the ugliness that was in the world and what was coming our way. I wanted him to have nothing but peace and calm whenever he was in this house. Eric was being very quiet and smiling at me. HE was lost in thought and I wondered what about so I asked,

"What is it baby?"

"You smell better than ever and you glow with our love. I am your and I am the luckiest Vampire in the world." he said as he pulled me into his arms and kissed me with passion and desire. "Mmmm Sookie, what time is it?" I was busy kissing him, but I pulled away to look over his shoulder.

"2:30, why?"

"We have plenty of time to play with Hunter this afternoon and get ready for our meeting… even if we _played_ a game together now…" he waggled his eyebrows at me and grinned his trademark smirk.

"What did you have in mind Viking?"

"You call me that often Faery, why is that?"

"I would love to go out to the back of the lake and we could pretend that you caught me there, a sweet, innocent handmaiden and you are a big bad Viking, but you decided to protect me and show me... well you show me…everything" I giggled and blushed at my husband and he nodded yes.

"Let me check the house and see who all is here first and where they are at. I don't want to scar Hunter for life." I continued to laugh and he agreed. I opened up my mind and found the house was empty except Pam who was in her resting chamber alone. Everyone must have driven back to the Bon Temps house to continue on with moving day but just to be sure I called Hadley's cell phone. She advised me that they were staying in Bon Temps until around 4:15 or so to wait for Maggie to wake up from her nap.

I gave Eric the all clear, popped to the closet and put on my sweetest flowing sundress and then popped out to the back side of the lake where I decided to just get lost in my role of innocent handmaiden and live the part. I began to pick up flowers and make a bouquet for whatever goddess I was supposed to be worshiping. I suppose I should have asked about that but I forgot…oops.

I was trying to keep a look out for my would be attacker but I truly was lost in the moment and sat down with my flowers in hand and laid back just basking in the sun. I really did need to sunbathe later today after I noticed I was getting a little pale. I didn't know if it was a vampire thing or just the fact that I had not had the time to lie in the sun lately. Eric and I were always so busy with Kingdom work or wedding planning so today was a nice break. I was lost in thought when I heard,

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" I rose up to find a welcome sight… Eric was standing in front of me dressed in those damn soft leather pants and sleeveless loose fitting shirt that was wrapped with a braided leather cord crossed in the front that held his broadsword at his back and what looked like a bag of some type. Damn it, he'd dressed up for me and damn if had not done a _really _good job of it. I may or may not have drooled before getting myself back into character by scurrying back from him saying,

"Sir, I will be on my way I am sorry if I am on your land."

"You are and you have taken from me."

"I have stolen nothing."

"What is that in your hand?"

"Flowers, just flowers."

"They are from my property. You owe me for them."

"They were a token for my goddess, I meant no harm. Perhaps if I pray for you too when I make my offering to her, you will forgive me then?" I asked sweetly and waited to see how he would play it.

"I have no need for your prayers, but a kiss might do. Perhaps you will pay me with a kiss."

"I have never kissed a man. I don't know how." I twisted and looked around me.

"There is no one around for miles and if you run it will anger me. I am growing fond of you little one, but if you run I will not be happy."

"You mean to hurt me?" I let tears come into my eyes and his face softened,

"No, I will not harm you. Come, we must get you home. Which way will lead us there?"

"That is my problem. I am lost." I cried. "I walked for many miles and I was tired. That is why I sat down here to pray to the goddess for direction and help."

"Well then, here let me be that help." He pulled the pack from his back and put down a very familiar quilt on the ground. He broke character but for a moment with a quick grin and I did the same before he took my hand and helped me sit down on the quilt.

"You can lay back and rest. I will watch over you."

"You will protect me?" I asked while batting my eyelashes at him and he smiled and answered,

"Yes, beautiful one, I will protect you." I lay back onto the quilt and rested as he laid a gentle hand on mine. Looking down at me he asked,

"So you have never been touched by a man, does my hand on yours suit you or shall I remove it?"

"I like you holding my hand. It feels safe. Would you hold me close to you?"

"Yes, come to me." I rolled to my side and cuddled against him and when he wrapped his arms around me and the familiar feeling of being home took over my heart and mind despite our role-play. God I loved it when he held me like this. I love him so much. He kissed my forehead and I sighed against his chest.

"Little handmaiden, what is your name?" he asked and I thought about it for a moment in silence, wondering if I should choose another name, but that just made me feel silly so I chose my own.

"I am Sookie."

"Sookie, are you named after Loki the God of chaos?" he asked

"I don't think so. What is your name?"

"Erikk" he said as he smiled at me. He began to talk to me and tell me about his homeland, his family and his people. He told me things that I knew and some that I did not. I was lost in my character, but on some levels she was me. The innocent girl I was that always wanted someone like 'Erikk' to come along and save me from myself. What I would not have given to have had an 'Erikk' growing up or when I was in high school. I just laid there listening to his voice before I responded with what was really in my heart.

"I like the way you talk to me. No one talks to me or listens to what I have to say. They all think I am crazy."

"Why? Why would others say you are crazy?"

"I have a 'gift' I can hear what people are thinking."

"Can you hear me?"

"Yes. You are thinking that I am beautiful and that you will do anything to protect me." Which to my great happiness was exactly what he was thinking at that moment and he smiled at me as if to confirm it was my Eric thinking that and not Viking Erikk. He looked at me softly and then whispered,

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes, I don't know why I do, but I do. I know you would never harm me."

"Do you want to know me?" It was that biblical way of talking he had that always took me by surprise and always turned me on, but I knew what he meant and responded with,

"Yes Erikk. I have waited so long but how do I know you won't abandon me after you have what you want from me? How can I know you will love me?"

"Last evening I prayed to Odin and Freya to send me my mate. They came to me in my dreams and told me she would be waiting for me by the seashore with flowers in her hand."

"You could have just made that up." I smiled.

"Yes, but he also told me my mate will know me when she kisses me and that at the small of her back she will have a mark." I have a tiny beauty mark on my lower back, nice touch Viking… nice touch.

"I have such a mark so I guess I should kiss you. Will that make me your mate?"

"No, you were born my mate. You are already mine." He smiled as his mouth hovered over mine for a moment before he kissed me so passionately I lost my breath.

"Oh Erikk, show me more, please show me more."

"Little one, I am going to go slow for you." He kissed down my neck and pulled the top of my sundress down to reveal my breasts. He was French kissing each nipple over and over switching between the two. When one would peak he would go to the other. Then he pulled the dress the rest of the way down while taking his shirt off as well before settling himself between my legs and began pleasuring me as if I were a virgin. He ran his fingers up and down my wet slit and growled in appreciation as he found me soaking wet.

"Yes, Sookie, what a good girl you are." He continued to stroke for a moment and then he lay against me as he whispered,

"I am going to kiss you now where my hand is. Do you understand?"

"Yes, yes please…" He kissed his way back down my body and began to kiss the outer part of my swollen lips. I could feel my nub throbbing and I wanted him to lick and suck it so bad, but he continued to kiss and tease me. He slipped his tongue inside my wet folds and made nice long slow swipes with his tongue pressed flat but I wanted more and bucked my hips up at him. He took his large hand and planted me to the ground and holding me there as I whimpered,

"Please…" he sent me a mental note, _'You wanted to be an innocent maiden and I am treating you like one.'_ So I tried to calm myself and just enjoy the ride. He continued to lick and tease before finally giving me what I wanted, a screaming orgasm. I laid there trying to catch my breath as he finally lost the pants and lay back down beside me. I turned toward him but before I could say a word he spoke,

"Give me your hand little one, let me show you how to pleasure a man." He took my hand and rubbed it on his hard cock showing me how to stroke up and down his shaft while running my thumb over the top of the head just like he liked making him begin to moan and pant. I began to really look at him and thought, 'damn it l love hearing him breath and feeling his heart beat and just looking at the way the afternoon sunlight looks on his skin and hair, God he is gorgeous' I was one happy Faery or handmaiden or whoever in the hell I was.

"Oh Sookie that feels so good, are you ready for me little one, are you ready?" he growled out at me.

"Yes, oh yes please Erikk, please." He rolled me to my back and gently pushed two fingers into me pleasuring me until I orgasmed before pushing that wonderfully hard cock into me making me scream out in ecstasy. He pressed in and out of me while I looked down between our bodies to watch. I will never get over the magic of our joining and becoming one. I loved this, this exact moment when we two become one. I met him thrust for thrust and brought him hard while he screamed out,

"Sookie, my lover… YES!" he collapsed against me laying his body on top of mine and leaving me feeling loved and protected. I had no idea why I said what I did next other than I was lost in the character and the moment.

"I'm glad that you're the Viking who found me. I'm glad I'm yours." He looked at me with love in his eyes and said,

"And I am glad that you are and will always be my innocent little handmaiden, my vixen, my dirty little faery and my sweet little vampire all rolled into one wonderful woman who loves only me." I cuddled against him and no matter how much I love my family, I wished that we had the rest of the night alone instead of just a few more minutes.

I loved having them there, but this was the first time I was thinking, 'So how many more days until everyone will be gone and I will have my house back' and felt no guilt what so ever. Lillianna and Alex were leaving at sundown, but Remy, Hadley, Sophie-Anne and Hunter were moving in until after the wedding.

Sven and Livy had moved in with Bobby and Evelyn, much to my chagrin, but Livy was going to night school to become a vampire dentist and Evelyn was helping so I just had to let it go. Sven was over 1000 years old and I had to trust his judgment were she was concerned since she was not my daughter. I had no say over her life in anyway. She was Eric's 'sister' but he too deferred judgment to Sven.

Then, with Pam and Belinda moving out into the Bon Temps house as soon as the wedding was over we would have the house back. We were not leaving for our honeymoon until a week after the wedding due to some kingdom business we needed to take care of and Alcide was finally going to begin construction on my little Nursery Garden shop. I was lost in happy thoughts when Eric said,

"Lover, it is almost 4. We need to go up to the house to shower and dress and Sookie my back feels funny…" he was turning trying to see his own back when I realized how long we had been outside in the afternoon sun. I knew what was wrong even before I looked, my vampire had sunburn… well shit… that is going to be hard to explain at tonight's meeting… and again I say SHIT!

"Come on baby…" I grabbed everything and popped us into our resting chamber before I began to explain.

"You have a sunburn baby. We stayed outside for too long and I didn't put sun block on you. Oh sweetie, I will get the aloe lotion and put it on you." I kept it for myself but like I said I had not lay out and sunbathed for so long I had not over done it in a while. I returned from the kitchen with the aloe in hand but where I had left my mate I instead returned to a whinny little boy and not a big brave Viking.

"Eric, seriously… you have been tortured and almost drained before. You can handle a little sunburn and some cold lotion that will make you feel better. Not to mention in a few hours the whole "Vampires heal from anything" will kick in and you will be fine." I laughed at his expense and he pouted before laughing and saying,

"You are just jealous that I will have a beautiful tan like you now!"

"Yes, but how do we explain that 'tan' to the world?"

"Self tanner, all the vampires are doing it now." He really did have an answer for everything. Soon we were showered and dressed. It worked out wonderfully because the house was soon abuzz with activity. Everyone was home and hungry so Eric and I decided that we would cook out and enjoy the pool with the family. Belinda was playing with Maggie in the shallow end when Sarah got in with Elizabeth and I was in heaven. This is the life, a nice quiet life with my family.

"Belinda, when will Pam rise tonight?"

"Around 5:30. We have to go pick up Mary Jo or maybe she can catch a ride with Hadley or Bill." I then asked Sarah,

"Hey Sarah, is Bill coming over later?"

"Yes, I left him a note and we talked about it last night so he knows to come over. Remy and Hadley are coming over with Hunter any minute and Sophie-Anne will come over with Bill tonight, but I can call him and tell him to bring Mary Jo so you guys don't have to drive back out."

Eric raised his eyebrow as if to say something but he did not when he saw Sarah raise her own eyebrow at him. I laughed a little to myself watching their silent battle of wills when I heard the doorbell ring and walked to the door. Eric went with me stopping me before I could open the door and he said,

"I smell Were. It is your wolf." He teased.

"Will you stop it… he is not MY wolf… open the door Viking." I laughed.

Alcide immediately began speaking and rattling off,

"Sookie, I swear I didn't know what she was up to, but Sandra is going to try to kill you!" Neither one of us missed the fact that he was grasping a note book in his hand like it was the Holy Grail.

"Sandra WHO?"

**A/N: Sorry to end it there baby minions, but I had to as it was getting out of hand. So you know Sandra who? I know you do! I think we have our bad guy! Hahaha! Review baby minions, I love you!**

**Family Tree (or a very SIMPLE guideline) *** print this part and keep with you at all times ***seriously, print it and memorize it, I took the time to do this so I will be quizzing you later! *wink***

**Who the following people are to Sookie:**

**Laurell (Great-grandmother, once High Princess of the Fae, now Vampire Queen) was married to Niall (Great-grandfather, High Prince of the Fae and Supernatural Council Member) for a short period of time and together had 2 boys, Dermot and Finton (both Fae princes who live(d) in Faery). Finton was Sookie's Granddad and Dermot is her Great Uncle. Dermot had 1 daughter, Lillianna,** **who is Sookie's cousin. Lillianna****(day walking vampire) is married to Alexander****(Vampire) who is one of Eric's best friends. Lillianna had a son before Alexander turned her. His name is Christean, (so he too is a cousin) and his daughter Belinda (bonded to Pam and a main character here and Belinda's biological daughter Maggie (a second cousin to Sookie) both have some Faery abilities. Laurell left Niall for Marcus and is now married to him. Marcus is Laurell and Alexander's maker. ***Sookie and Belinda refer to Laurell as 'Gammy' sometimes*** Belinda refers to Lillianna as 'Gamma Lilli' sometimes since she is her (Belinda's) grandmother*** **

**Who the following people are to Eric:**

**Laurell was married to Marcus when Ocella (Eric's true Maker) used to visit there and he was cruel to Eric. She ended up saving Eric's undead life when Ocella left him to bleed out and she fed him her blood. They now have a Maker/Child-like bond, though she is not his true Maker. Marcus is an ancient vampire who is married to Laurell and loves all her family like they are his own and often refers to them as such. Eric also has a "brother" and "sister" in Sven and Livy, thanks to Ocella turning his clan mate and kinsman Sven 1000 years ago and then turning Livy about 6 months ago in a jealous rage. ***Eric will refer to Laurell as Maker or Mother sometimes because that is what she feels like to him. **

**The only other characters that are mine would be Elizabeth and she is the orphan baby that Bill and Sarah have taken in and she a half-sister to the other baby Maggie, who is Belinda's daughter. (Elizabeth is related to Maggie though their father, Joe Duggin, the horrible man that tried to kill everyone and raped both Belinda and Sarah. Joe was only in a couple of chapters, but he is now dead. Maggie also has an adoptive mom, Mary Jo who is very sick and the family is taking care of her.)**

Okay, I think that just about covers it. I only included my characters as I figured the others would be obvious since they are book characters and you already have their back stories. I hope that helps. I am putting my crayons away now and I swear if this doesn't work, you will have to SKYPE me and I will do the puppet show that Sassy and I have prepared. To be honest it is really kinda cute, I put little blonde doll wigs on these sock puppets with little google eyes and everything! The weird part is every time I leave the room and come back the Eric Puppet has somehow gotten on top of the Sookie puppet…WEIRD~~


	51. Chapter 51 What about the Notebook

**Chapter 51 – What about the Notebook **

A/N: I love **Sassyvampmama BETA **extraordinaire and the wonderful **KJWRIT** my beloved content editor! I could NOT do this without them! YES baby minions this is the last set up chappy and then off to the wedding/wedding night which is almost written… yea!

**LAST TIME:** _**(Laurell is worried that she will have to kill Dermot to protect the family and Sookie is upset and decides that she and Eric will have to find Dermot and bring him back into the fold. There is a sweet Eric and Sookie love scene while the role-play Viking and Innocent Handmaiden. The "family" starts arriving home…)**_

**And then…**

**SPOV**

"**Belinda, when will Pam get here?"**

"**She is going to drive over Jessica and Mary Jo later. Mary Jo needed to sleep a little longer." She smiled sadly and I knew that meant she was having a rough day. I then asked Sarah,**

"**Hey Sarah is Bill coming over later?"**

"**Yes, I left him a note and we talked about it last night so he knows to come over. Remy and Hadley are coming over with Hunter any minute and Sophie-Anne will come over with Bill tonight." **

**Eric raised his eyebrow as if to say something but he did not when he saw Sarah raise her own eyebrow at him. I laughed a little to myself when I heard the doorbell ring. I walked to the door and Eric went with me he stopped me before I could open the door and he said,**

"**I smell Were. It is your wolf." He teased.**

"**Will you stop it… he is not MY wolf… open the door Viking." I laughed.**

**Alcide immediately began speaking and rattling off,**

"**Sookie, I swear I didn't know what she was up to, Sandra is going to try to kill you!" and he was grasping a note book in his hand like it was the Holy Grail.**

"**Sandra WHO?"**

**SPOV**

I had no clue what Alcide was talking about, but he continued ranting about someone trying to kill me yet again. Surprisingly enough no matter how many times I had found out someone is trying to kill me I was still shocked by it. I just could not figure out what I had done to garner such hatred. Eric then growled out,

"You will explain yourself NOW wolf. Who means to harm my mate?"

"Now Eric calm down, Alcide came here to help so let's all go sit down away from the babies and he can explain it to us." I tried to stay calm but I was shaken by the realization that I was a target… again.

"Okay, Alcide start at the beginning."

"Alright, you both remember Debbie Pelt, right?" Eric and I shared a look that said, 'Oh yes we remember her we killed her.' But neither of us said anything back to him and simply nodded.

"Well, she has a sister. Her name is Sandra, she is a Werewolf and…" I interrupted in confusion.

"Alcide, Debbie was a were -lynx and I thought only the first born could be…" It was his turn to interrupt me,

"Debbie was adopted, the Pelts didn't think they could have kids so they adopted Debbie and then 18 months later they were pregnant with Sandra. They were close in age and Sandra worshiped Debbie. When Debbie first went missing Sandra came at me with venom demanding that I tell her what I did to her sister. When she finally believed that I had not done anything to Debbie she wanted to know why I abjured her." Well shit, I know where this is going, I thought.

"I told her what she did to Bill and to you and that I just could not be with someone so cold. She changed toward me after that. She would come to check in on me, give me updates on the search for Debbie and tell me things that her parents cut me out of. The Pelt's weren't part of my pack and I had no way of knowing what was going on so Sandra's updates were all I had." He took a deep breath and I had a feeling that history was about to take a really bad turn.

"I was feeling really guilty about Debbie disappearing and told Sandra that I thought Debbie had killed herself, but we just had not found her yet. I was very emotional when I told her all this and she was crying too… we ended up sleeping together. After that she just sort of started coming around more and more. I liked having her around. It was like getting to have Debbie back but with none of the crazy, or so I thought." He paused again and regrouped before continuing,

"She would ask me questions about my friends, Tray, Sam, you and she was intrigued with your relationship with Eric. I told her about you seeming so happy when I brought Hadley here. We would just talk and I thought it was because she wanted to be part of my life… I thought she wanted to know me. She joined my pack and her parents made this huge deal about me taking another daughter from them, but in the end they let her go and she joined the pack. I thought things were going good for us when I heard her on the phone with her mom one day. She said something weird that just didn't set right with me."

"What did you hear her say?" I asked wondering when this story was going to turn ugly for me.

"She said, _'no he has no idea, I know what she looks like now… I followed them to the club the other night… no they were so into each other they did not see me… of course I am careful…'_ then there was a long pause and she said, _'they are different from other royals… they have no outside security so I don't really know.'_ That was how I knew she was talking about you. That got me to thinking and I started digging, well snooping really." He said this with his eyes cast down to the notebook he was holding.

"I swear, I wanted to find something that showed me she was working on something else, that I was wrong, but then I found this. I think you should see it." He handed me the notebook and what I found inside creeped me out, pissed me off, and scared the absolute hell out of me.

**EPOV**

I could tell by the emotions coming from Sookie that whatever was in that notebook was terrifying her and nothing scares my girls… except… one thing; an attack on her family. At that moment I heard Hunter yelling for Sookie and had not realized he was here. From the look on Sookie's face neither did she. We had been so intent on Alcide's story we had not heard the Savoy's come in the house. Hunter was family to me and not a threat so I was not even thinking about him being in the house while Alcide told his story. Hunter's cries were getting louder and louder.

"Aunt Suekee? Why are you so scarwd? Who's going to hurt us?" Before Sookie could speak I did and as I did I felt Sookie clamp down the bond and put up her shields.

"No one is going to hurt you or your Aunt, calm yourself little man." I wrapped him in my arms and hugged him to reassure him before handing him to a very concerned Remy and equally alarmed Hadley. It was then that Sookie spoke,

"Hunter, there are always going to be bad people in the world, but it is up to the good people to keep them at bay. It is up to us, the good guys to protect all the other people in the world who can't protect themselves. I will protect you and this whole family. There is nothing for you to worry about right now, we just have to keep being the family that we are and stick together." She hugged him and then said, "Now you go change into your bathing suit and go swim with Elizabeth and Maggie okay." She turned to Remy and said,

"When Jessica gets here tell her to take the kids down to the home theater and put on a movie. I need you two to bring Sophie-Anne, Bill, Sarah, Mary Jo, Belinda and Pam in here to join us and I will talk to you all together. It is not an immediate threat, but something we will need to address as a family." Neither, Remy nor Hadley asked any questions they just obediently did as Sookie asked and took Hunter out of the room. She then turned to Alcide and said,

"You know what this is, don't you?"

"Yes."

"How long have you had it?"

"I found it 2 days ago, but I thought I could talk her down…"

"She knows you have it?"

"No, she is out of town on business or that is what she told me. I didn't catch her scent near here so I don't think she is watching you now or in the vicinity."

"I am going to make a copy of this in Eric's office and I want you to leave and go home. I want you to put this back exactly where you found it. Put a load of dirty laundry on top of it and maybe she won't catch any scent but yours and hers." I could wait no longer, I love when she is in 'General Sookie' mode but I do not like not understanding what is happening.

"Sookie, what is in that notebook?"

"I will show you once I make the copy. I don't want your scent on it too. Alcide can make up some bullshit about me stopping by to visit him, but that won't work with you. Everyone knows you all hate each other." I nodded at her reasoning and watched her walk down the hall to my office before turning to the wolf and saying,

"What is in that book?"

"Your schedules, ALL of your schedules, she has watched all of you."

"That is all?"

"You don't understand Eric, she has ALL your schedules in that book, you, Sookie, Pam, Belinda and all the other adults, but she also has Hunter's, Elizabeth's and Maggie's… she's watching all of you and she is after something… the information focuses on the kids. She thinks you know what happened to her sister and I think she means to take the children as leverage to force you to tell her what happened. I know that is crazy, I know she just ran off and killed herself, but…" Sookie came back in and handed the notebook to Alcide. She drew in a deep breath and said,

"Alcide, you have the right to know what happened to Debbie. One day we will sit down and talk it all out, but tonight is not that night. You need to go home and say nothing to Sandra. If you think about turning against me I would remind you what I did to Breandan." I could feel that she wanted to tell Alcide what happened but she was mulling it over.

"You know what happened to her don't you?" Sookie looked down and then to me before looking back at him after I nodded and she simply said,

"Yes."

"You have to tell me. I can tell Sandra and stop all this. I can save her from herself and this vendetta if I can show her you had nothing to do with it"

"But you can't do that Alcide."

"Sure I can just tell me what you saw… what you know… oh no… Sookie… no…" This was the moment he realized the woman he idealized as a perfect angel had killed his ex-fiancé, the one he would always be hung up on… so much so that he was now dating her younger sister.

"What happened, Sookie? What did you do?"

"It was more like what I had to do. It was after the Were-Witch war, Eric and I came home and she was sitting at my kitchen table with a gun leveled at me. She fired as soon as I cleared the door. Eric jumped in front of the bullet and took the shot in his neck. It startled her and I was able to grab my shotgun from behind the water heater and I… I just fired. The first shot killed her."

"You could have told me…"

"When Alcide? When my house was burning down and you were asking me to move in with you and start a life with you? Oh that would have been rich I can just hear it now! 'Yes Alcide, I'll live with you and maybe one day get married. We can have a nice little life, but oh by the way I had to kill Debbie and dumped her out in swamp.' Yes that would have gone over like gangbusters. You weren't ready to let go of her even after you abjured her. You would still take her back if she was alive today and you know you would."

"You're right, I sure know how to pick'em. I was always willing to overlook Debbie's outbursts and by doing that I put you in danger. I swear Sook, I won't let that happen this time and I will help you protect those babies I swear it." I stayed silent during their exchange as I looked over the copy of the book. It did not seem that she was able to spy on us here at the house. Instead she seemed to be picking us up at the gate and that I could use to my/our advantage.

"I appreciate all that Alcide. Now you need to go on home and put that notebook back exactly where you found it and try to keep up a good front. Call me if anything changes." The wolf then left.

I was mulling around the fact that Alcide had obviously proposed living together to MY Sookie from what she just said and I was feeling very protective and possessive as I stalked toward her. We were alone in the den, but I took her hand and led her to my study so we could have a bit more privacy but she knew the question before I asked.

"He asked me the day after my house burned down and yes, I did really think that. I could have had a nice little life with Alcide. It would have been everything I wanted as a young girl; a good man that could give me a nice life. And he does love me, in his own way, but I never loved him." She paused, "That night was a shitty night and all I wanted was for you to show up and hold me, but that didn't happen. When he showed up the next day offering to help me… he asked me to move in with him and start a life together and I thought about it. I thought I had lost you forever, so I thought 'What the hell'. But then I knew it wouldn't stop the pain, nothing but you loving me again would so I put him off by telling him I'd think about it, though I knew even then I could never love again without you." Her little voice was heavy, tired and worried.

"Oh Lover, it will always pain me… that month… and even before… all the times I could have protected you better and didn't." My mind automatically began going through the list of my failures.

I should have never let her go to Merlotte's alone the night that Ocella took her from me. I should have never left her the night as she wept on the floor of her house so that she ended up praying for death. I should have smelled that damn Were before we went in Sookie's house. I should have been in the trunk of that car with Bill that day. That is where I should have rested so that I could have protected her from Bill. I should have stopped her before she went into her house and the Jackson Were's beat her. I should have NEVER let her go in that church alone. I should have never sent her to Dallas at all and why because of my Dracula fascination, that is why. Sookie had recently found out that Godfrey's was Vlad's maker and that was why I did what I did, but I shouldn't have… I should have done so many things differently. I should have found her as Laurell had charged me to do when Sookie was 4. I could have protected her from all the injustices in her life. I was quiet for too long and as I looked up to her with red tears in my eyes I saw that she cried her own silver streams.

**SPOV**

I really had no idea why we kept doing this to each other. We dwelled on things in the past and what we could have done differently to have saved the other from pain. I guessed that that is what you do when you love someone; you want to keep them from pain. I walked slowly to the man I loved, the only man I had ever truly loved and said,

"Eric, please don't do that. You can't change the past and neither can I; we can only worry about the here and now. I love you so much baby, please don't cry anymore tears for me, especially not for what's in the past. Tell me you love me… please love me." I whispered as I wrapped my arms around his waist and willed him to feel every ounce of love I had for him. I could hear a low hum between us and thought 'well that is new' our love makes a sound now. It was very soothing and soon we both felt our love flowing through the bond and we knew exactly what we needed. We needed to make a physical connection to soothe the bond. We had just made love a couple of hours ago but we need this… together… no role-play… just us.

"Lover, take us to our chamber." He said in that loving voice he only uses with me. I responded with a nod and popped us to our bedroom. We did not have a lot of time as we needed to get back upstairs to talk to the adults about the newest situation we were facing concerning Sandra Pelt and her 'Notebook of Doom'.

"Not now Lover, there is only us here; only you and I." he said, effectively bringing me back to him and to the present moment. As he leaned in to kiss me his hair brushed my cheek; it was soft and felt good as it fell around my face. He had been a warrior, fisherman and explorer and that had left his hands rough, but it always amazed me how softly he could touch me with those hands. The sun was going down and he was beginning to cool off as his heartbeat began to still. He was my vampire now.

I kept watching his hands move over my body and made an attempt to reciprocate but he shushed me and laid my arms back down at my side. His hands moved over the straps to my dress and he pushed them off my shoulders and down to my waist. Looking at me he licked his lips as he whispered,

"Beautiful… absolutely beautiful." He leaned in to me and kissed my lips with the softest of touches tracing my lips with his tongue before going down my neck to tease my nipples with light nips and kisses. He had me panting when he stopped for a moment to undress us both and laughed a full throaty laugh as I protested by mewing like a damn little kitten begging for milk.

"Easy, little one, I will be right back to take care of you. Have I ever left you wanting?" he smirked, damn him.

"No, you always love me just right. You always know what I need. How do you know what I need?" I really wanted to know. Did he read my body language? Did he read the bond? Did he read my mind?

"Your heart sings to me and I know what you need. Right now you need to feel precious, safe and loved, so that is what you will be." He declared as he finished undressing me so I was bare before him and he spread my legs apart.

"Stay right there. I just want to look for a moment." I did not feel self conscious or silly; I felt honored. My man, my husband thought I was so beautiful that he just wanted to look at me lying beneath him. He reached out to touch me as if he thought I would disappear running his hand along my face, down my neck to my breast and then finally came to rest between my legs as he cupped my sex in his hand. He just held me and without being asked I told him.

"Yours, that is yours as am I. I am yours. I love you" He looked back up at me lost in our love before lowering his mouth to my center and gently began kissing me right where I needed it most. He had me panting and writhing against him he slid two fingers inside me and began bringing me even more pleasure.

"That's right my Lover, cum… cum for me now." I gladly obeyed my maker with a scream as I pleaded with him to make love to me.

"Eric, please make love to me, please I need you now, my husband." I threw my head back and tried to catch my breath knowing what was coming next. But there was no sudden thrust, only a gentle nudge moving me on the bed. He smiled at me as he gentle petted me while explaining,

"Let me position you. You will find this very pleasurable, my mate." He used his hands to roll me onto my side as he lay down behind me and he lifted my leg to gently enter into me making me gasp at the sensation. He was right, this felt different there was no pinch from him entering me like when I was on my back. I did not have to adjust to his size this way; this was gentle and slow. Once he pushed in and out of me several times he let my leg come back down but he still held it in his hand for a moment until he showed me how to position my leg over his. That left his hand free to slip around me, slide down my body and go to work on my now throbbing nub.

He started making small circles before going up and down my wet slit only to surprise me with a quick flick to my hidden pearl. I was in overdrive and my emotions coupled with the way he was making love to me were almost too much. I felt so happy, loved and safe in this moment that nothing else mattered but to make sure my husband knew how much I loved him. I pulled away from him and pushed him over on his back before sliding back down him. I lay my body flush with his and kissed his face while I whispered, "I love you." over and over. He was speaking in Swedish and I am pretty sure I wasn't speaking English anymore but ancient Faery or perhaps I was speaking Swedish too, but whatever I was saying he was responding to my desire and my love. He came with a shudder as did I and I collapsed on top of him crying tears of joy. We just laid there together listening to the hum of our love.

**EPOV**

A goddess, she was a goddess, she had to be. There was no other explanation for what she could do or how she could make me feel. No one had ever reached this far into my soul, the same one I once feared I had lost on the side of the road the night Ocella turned me, but she proved to me over and over that I still had it; she was the one who found it. Our bond had begun to hum, which was new, but I liked it very much. It made me feel closer to her than I thought possible.

Her fingertips caressed me and she was preparing herself for me to enter her when I realized that even though she loved the sensation of me pushing into her, on some level the initial moment caused her a moment of discomfort and for this moment that would not do. So I positioned her on her side and pulled her leg up to cause her sweet opening to be wider and she gasped both in pleasure and shock at my entrance into her little body. Once I took her leg and put it over my legs I began to thrust in earnest and I added my hand into the equation by gently touching and rubbing her little folds. She was pressing back against me and sending me so much love and affection through our bond that I was overwhelmed with the amount. She surprised me once again by rolling me to my back and slid back on to me. She was perfect absolutely perfect. She was my lover, my soul mate and perfect partner. She always knew what I needed and she loved me with total abandon. She spoke to my soul with her love as she whispered how precious I was to her and that she would always be mine.

"I'll never leave you or let anyone hurt you… I love you Eric… I love you!" Our bond was humming again and we lay there in each other's arms just enjoying being close for a few more moments before we had to go upstairs and deal with a clear and present danger. I was the one to break the spell as I said,

"My wife, we must go talk to the others."

"I know, let's go get this over with." She smiled her determined brave little smile as we dressed and prepared to explain the threat to our… family… shit… they felt like my family… even fucking Bill Compton… SHIT! Okay, so he was more or less akin to the weird cousin that I would never like, but I also would defend him. It felt like, 'I can beat the shit out of him, but no one else better raise a hand to him.' kind of feeling… Like I said, shit! My twitter friend gnrclln will never let me live this shit down. Of course we could still make fun of him and hate him though, right? Damn it.

"Eric, what's wrong with you? Are you on Twitter with your other lover?"

"NO! I am fine. We should go." She knew I hated it when she called me out on my twitter fascination.

"I agree." She smirked at me. She knew. DOUBLE SHIT.

"What are you two up to? Are you running off to screw already?" was what we were met with when we ran into Pam in the hall by the elevator.

"No, we actually just finished screwing if you really must know, and he was spectacular." was Sookie's response; I loved it when she was a smartass with Pam. Not to be outdone Pam responded in typical Pam fashion.

"Of course he was spectacular, he is our maker. What else would you expect sister?"

"Pamela, behave. Once upstairs go and find your bonded we have something to discuss in the study."

"Eric why do you call it a study and everyone else calls it a library?" Sookie asked me sweetly and with genuine curiosity.

"That is what Laurell called theirs when I was an infant vampire so the term has stuck with me throughout the years." I kissed the top of her head as Pam rolled her eyes.

"Pam what we must speak of will undoubtedly scare and worry our little angel, so I want you to be prepared to soothe her. So I will tell you in short what the problem is but your must tap your anger down and hold your bond in check as to not let Belinda know you are upset." She nodded in silent agreement with me so I explained.

"In short, Debbie Pelt has a sister who is looking for revenge. She knows we had something to do with her sister's' death and she has been watching us… more specifically the children." I paused to see how she was and through our bond I felt her blood run cold.

"I will murder anyone who comes near my Maggie. I know she is Belinda's daughter but she feels like she… she feels like she is mine." Her fangs had clicked down and she closed her eyes to soothe her bond with Belinda. She smiled and I knew that Belinda was soothing her as well so we ascended the elevator together and prepared to share with our family that we need to prepare for the worst possible scenario.

Remy, Hadley and Sophie-Anne sat on one side of the study quietly talking while Mary Jo, Sarah and Bill talked with Belinda. When Belinda saw Pam, she immediately excused herself and walked to her bonded. She hugged her and whispered,

"Honey, I'm sorry I wasn't there when you rose. Do you need to feed?"

"No my angel, I am fine. Sit, we must talk." She sat down with her and wrapped her arms around her in an attempt to protect her from the words I was about to say. It was Compton, who brought me out of my thought process by asking,

"Eric, what is it? Hadley said you have to talk to us and that Alcide was here earlier?" He had a tight grip on Sarah as he too was protecting her from what he seemed to already know.

"Where are the children?" I asked to no one in particular but it was Sarah, who answered me,

"Jessica has them in the theater watching a movie and playing with them, just like you asked. Now what is going on?" She too was scared.

"Bill, I know that you will remember Debbie Pelt."

"Yes." he hissed.

"On the night of the Were-Witch war she was lying in wait for Sookie at her home. She had a gun aimed at the door and fired off a shot as Sookie came inside. I was able to jump in front of the bullet and take the shot giving Sookie time to defend herself, and she shot the bitch. I dumped her body in one end of the swamp and hid her car on the opposite end." I paused for a moment before continuing, "Alcide came here tonight to let us know that Debbie had a sister, Sandra, who has figured out that Sookie and I know something about her sister's' death or that we had something do to with it. We are not sure which yet."

"What does that have to do with the kids? Hunter said the kids are in danger!" Hadley questioned.

"Alcide found this." I held up the copy of the notebook. "It has all of our schedules in it, but the bulk of it seems to concentrate on the children's schedules. Alcide thinks she intends to take the children and use them for leverage to get Sookie and me to talk."

"We leave for France tonight! Hadley go get the boy, now. I will not have this not for one moment." Sophie-Anne spouted off; half in French and half in English.

"No, Savoy's don't run!" Remy said, "Show me the bitch coming after my boy! I almost lost him once I will not lose him again!"

"I am not a Savoy! I am a Leclerq and I love that child like he was mine. He will be safer in France and so will you, you stubborn, prideful man!" she shouted.

"Both of you stop it." Hadley swatted at them in a playful yet serious way as if she had had to calm them before.

"Elizabeth and Maggie, she means to take them too?"

"We don't really know. Alcide is going to be watching her, but she doesn't seem to be able to watch us here. It seems that she picks us up from the gates. Same thing at Fangtasia she never goes inside."

"What about my home?" Compton asked.

"She has been on your porch and heard a conversation about Elizabeth's adoption. Here," I handed him the notebook copy. With vampire speed he read it cover to cover before asking,

"May I use your computer?" I nodded and he went to my desk to get started, what I was sure would be an extensive background search on one Sandra Pelt.

"So what do we do?" asked Mary Jo.

"I am going to call my Niall to get Faery guards for all the children."

"Even our Elizabeth, will they guard her even though she isn't Fae?" Sarah all but cried sobbing without tears as she asked the question. I felt the need to comfort her for whatever reason as Bill was typing on the computer too lost in his rage to help comfort her at the moment. I touched Sarah's hand and said,

"No she is not Fae, but you are and you are friend to the King and Queen of Louisiana. That will be enough for Niall." I smiled and she looked at Sookie,

"I want my baby. I'm going downstairs. I will look at the book later, after I've held her." She went to my desk and kissed Bill's cheek as she whispered,

"I'm going to get Elizabeth." He nodded, but did not look up at first. As she turned to go he caught her wrist and whispered back,

"Family, we are family. I love you and our daughter. I will protect my girls; we are to be family forever." She paused and said something that caught us all off guard.

"Tonight; we bond tonight, as soon as we get home."

"Yes love…" he smiled at her as she walked away to get their daughter. I looked to Sookie who had a sweet smile on her face. She was happy for Bill. Hadley now had the notebook copy and she handed it to Sophie-Anne who read it quickly and then handed it to Pam. It seemed the vampire for each family was reading the notebook so each one would have a point of reference for what was known about them.

"This is ridiculous! This has NOTHING to do with us. We should leave. I love you Viking, I do, but this is my little boy's life we are talking about… he has already been taken and terrified once because of a vendetta against you and your wife…" Sophie-Anne was as close to tears as I had ever seen her as she spit her venomous words at me to help with the fear she felt for Hunter.

"Sophie-Anne you stop this NOW! This has everything to do with us! We are family! Family does NOT abandon family when something bad happens! Family sticks together through thick and thin!" Hadley shouted.

"But the boy… he is so little…" Sophie-Anne whispered as red tears flooded her eyes. "they took him… they just took him and he was so afraid… we couldn't get to him…" Hadley and Remy rushed to their vampires' side and I knew how she felt. I remembered when Ocella took Sookie and my heart softened a little as I saw "my" little Sophie, the little vampire I cared for so long ago. Belinda cried silent tears in Pam's arms as did Mary Jo. She had laid her head over on Pam's shoulder and my child had allowed it. I drew in a unneeded breath and declared much to the surprise of Bill Compton,

"Everyone in this house is under MY protection I will handle this situation with the help of my mate, my child and Mr. Compton. The children will not be harmed; this will end before it begins. This I swear." I growled the end. Sarah walked back into the room with Elizabeth on her hip. The child was happy and laughing, but when she saw Bill she lit up even more and happily yelped out,

"Dada… my dada!" she clapped and held her arms toward him. It made me wonder if my daughter, my Adele would react this way with me. Bill took Elizabeth in his arms and whispered,

"My Lizabelle, Daddy will always protect you and Mommy. You will always be safe." He handed the baby back to Sarah and looked to me,

"I think I have something. Call the wolf." Well we now had two things in common, we both loved Sookie and we hated Alcide. Damn it, I hated having things in common with that sad excuse for a vampire. I dialed Alcide's number but there was no answer so I left a message for him to call us immediately. Hunter and Maggie came into the room next with Jessica trailing closely behind them. Maggie ran to her Belinda, Pam and Mary Jo throwing herself into Pam's lap since she was in the middle and proceeded to hug and kiss them. She sensed their distress and lit her little hand making the light dance. Hunter walked to Sophie-Anne and wiped her tears with his little hand the blood on his hands didn't seem to bother him at all as he hugged her tightly and whispered,

"She'll never touch us. No one can." I hoped he was right but when he looked at me and frowned it was that moment I realized I had not played with him all day as I promised to, so I offered him an olive branch,

"Hunter, do you know how to play go fish?"

"Yes."

"Do you think you can teach me?"

"Yeah Uncle Ewric I can." I sat down on the floor and was soon covered in children. The notebook was put aside and all the adults with the exception of Sookie and Bill began to play with the little ones.

**SPOV**

"Bill, what did you find?" I asked as I watched the children play with Eric and their parents on the floor of the study.

"A flight plan for her company plane; she seems to be on it. She wasn't lying to Alcide when she said she was out of town." He looked over and smiled as Elizabeth clapped her hands and hugged Hunter.

"This is our chance. We put a tail on her at the airport and we learn her every move. If she intends to hurt us or the children we will have prior knowledge to what she is up to. When does the flight land?" I asked.

"In 30 minutes at Shreveport Airport." Bill advised.

"That is not a lot of time and that is probably where Alcide is. He is probably at the airport to pick her up. I am going to call Niall." I went and called my great-grandfather and told him everything. He was livid about this newest threat and did as I asked putting guards on all the children and a tail to start following Sandra at the airport. There was only one problem with that plan, Sandra never got off the plane.

Alcide called to let us know she never got off the plane and that he had even asked a security officer to go in and look for her but there was no sign of her. She was shown as a passenger on the plane, but she was nowhere to be found. There was, however, talk of a wolf running from the plane down the tarmac into the woods to the south of the airport, but no one could confirm that for us. How she knew we were on to her we did not know, but I could only hope that Alcide had not turned against us and warned her. He had a bad track record of helping women who tried to kill me.

We were on high alert for weeks, but Sandra simply disappeared off the map. I would barely let Eric out of my sight. I was sick over it constantly worried about Sandra and stressed out getting ready for the wedding to the point that I could barely keep anything down. Laurell and Lillianna where true to their word and kept popping in and out to help me plan, but I knew that Laurell also wanted to watch over Hunter and Maggie. She loved little Elizabeth too and even though she was not a blood relative Laurell said that it did not matter.

"Love is love, Sookie. Some say nothing counts more that blood, but I say nothing counts more than love." My Gammy gave the best advice and always seemed to know what to say. She was a lot like Gran when it came to that. I started dreaming about Gran as the wedding drew closer and kept hoping I would dream about or see the babies as well, but I sadly did not. I sincerely hoped that we would not have to deal with Sandra or Dermot at all before the wedding. Just for once I wanted a nice quiet family get together, but who knows we might be able to pull one off? Damn it I needed a brownie!

**A/N: Next Chapter is IT! The Wedding/Wedding night and END of this part of the story! I know, I know… you are asking 'how momma minion how will you pull this off?' Well you know baby minions I have to have a few bad guys for the next part of the story…mmmm…. Mmmmmaaaaaawwwww **laughs evilly as I twist my hands in a conspirators way*****

**PLEASE REVIEW**


	52. Chapter 52 The Beginning and The End

**Chapter 52 – The Beginning and The End**

A/N: I want to take a moment to thank the following people for their support:

**Sassyvampmama**, my BETA and bestie, **Kjwrit **my content Editor and incredible friend, to **Vikinglover Elle **thank you for giving me the courage to post **"Please Remember Me"** the beginning of the journey and to **Suki59** who had encouraged me to become a better writer even though this just a hobby of mine.

To my baby minions: **gnrclln, ljhjelm99, hathor321, VAlady, TheladyKT, AlphaSprout, Siberian Shewolf, desireecarbenell, Teacuphuman, ncmiss12, emb1, Eric's #1 Lover, chipndalegal, Northwoman, sluggysmom, Eric lover75, afalcone10, mybonded, duckbutt, and Wolfeagle.** You all have reviewed from the very beginning and most every single chapter. I adore you and appreciate ever word of encouragement and even the times you were mad at me. Ha-ha! & **hooper66**** thanks for being my 1000****th**** review! IF I LEFT SOMEONE OFF the list I am SOOO SORRY I am doing this by memory as I have no internet access at this time!** (I am on the island today!)

I AM TAKING A SHORT BREAK BUT WILL BE BACK IN THE FALL.

**LAST TIME: **_**(Eric and Sookie are having a nice family moment when Alcide shows up and tells them that Sandra Pelt is not only gunning for them, but the children in the family. Eric and Sookie have a sweet loving moment and their bond 'sings' to them. Sookie is worried about how to handle and find Sandra, Plan for the wedding and find Dermot…)**_

**And then…**

**SPOV**

**There was only one problem with that plan, Sandra never got off the plane.**

**Alcide called to let us know she never got off the plane. He had a security officer go in and look for her but there was no sign of her. She was shown as a passenger on the plane, but she was nowhere to be found. There was talk of a wolf running from the plane down the tarmac into the woods to the south of the airport, but no one could confirm that for us. How she knew we were on to her we did not know. I could only hope that Alcide had not turned against us and warned her. He had a bad track record of helping women who tried to kill me.**

**We were on high alert for weeks, but Sandra simply disappeared off the map. I would barely let Eric out of my sight. I was sick over it. I was worried about Sandra and stressed out getting ready for the wedding to the point that I could barely keep anything down. Laurell and Lillianna where true to their word and kept popping in and out to help me plan, but I knew that Laurell also wanted to watch over Hunter and Maggie, she loved little Elizabeth too even though she was not a blood relative Laurell said that did not matter.**

"**Love is love, Sookie, some say nothing counts more that blood, but I say nothing counts more than love." My Gammy gave the best advice and always seemed to know what to say. She was a lot like Gran when it came to that. I started dreaming about Gran as the wedding drew closer. I kept hoping I would dream about or see the babies, but I sadly did not. I hoped that we would not have to deal with Sandra or Dermot at all before the wedding. Just for once I wanted a nice quiet family get together, who knows we might be able to pull one off? Damn it I needed a brownie!**

**SPOV**

I awoke awash in fear and sweat unable to breathe. There was shouting and I could hear Hunter, Elizabeth and Maggie screaming for help. I was fighting to get to them but something had me; I was encased in something. I wondered how this had happened since we were home; the magic should have protected us. I was fighting with everything I had, but my hands would not light up to allow me to free myself from my invisible bonds. I was gasping for air trying to breathe and reach for Eric when I heard his voice as soft as silk speaking in my ear.

"My wife, awaken and come back to me, my Lover." I was still struggling but then he cooed, "I have you my mate, awake now." I sat up in his arms and when I realized I was only dreaming I cried. I cried, wept and wailed to the point that Pam and Belinda who were spending the night tonight came running in to check on me. I had become an emotional basket case these past few weeks and I was unable to control myself lately; one minute I was laughing, the next I was crying, I had been having horrible nightmares and Eric said I had something that he explained was a like a cocoon wrapped around myself and part of the bond.

Laurell and Marcus said it was due to all the stress I was under. The wedding was less than 2 nights away and Eric and I were getting closer to finding Dermot, but no one knew where Sandra was. We contacted her parents through Alcide to throw down the gauntlet, basically saying 'if anything happens to our family and we find out you helped her… we'll kill you too.' But they offered up no information on her whereabouts.

Bill had refused our offer to stay here with Sarah and Elizabeth, so in addition to the Faery guards that I had procured for our family, Bill also hired bodyguards from some other realm to watch over 'his girls'. He had even gone so far as to hire one for Jessica who had turned into some type of a daughter to him as well. We even put guards on Jason, and because Pam and Belinda normally stayed at the Bon Temps house with Maggie and Mary Jo we had extra guards to watch over Mary Jo and Maggie whenever they spent the night there alone as they had tonight. I was running all this through my head as I felt the bed give and Pam pulled me into her arms. Eric growled at her a little which snapped me from my misery,

"Really? I am a mess and someone is trying to comfort me and you growl at them? For God's sake Eric it's Pam, not some random stranger!" Was that really the first damn thing I should've said to the man who just so lovingly woke me from my nightmare? God I was a hot mess.

"I am sorry my mate, but when you are fragile it seems to bring the beast out in me." He gave me an apologetic smile and one to Pam as well as she cuddled closer to me.

"I'm sorry Eric, these nightmares are horrible." I gasped out as I pulled him to us. Belinda climbed into bed with us too and sighed,

"It's just the stress Sookie. Hunter has not foreseen anything bad happening, so it's just stress."

I knew that to be true. I had asked Hunter about his dreams for weeks now and the only thing he dreamed about was a happy wedding and the babies. He kept dreaming about the babies and how happy we all were although he did have a random dream about a beautiful woman in a clearing near a spring that was singing a song. He had said that in the dream Eric and I were there and very happy so that dream. We could not figure out anything about that one but we let it go as just a little boy's imagination and wrote it off as a regular dream.

The next day I awoke ready to tackle the last minute details of the wedding. I was busy with the unity candle, one that Gran would have probably not smiled upon simply because it looked like a pentagram but in fact it was a Faery unity candle that combined the five elements into the ceremony. Working around the star clockwise it went: spirit candle, water candle, fire candle, earth candle and air candle with a single candle in the center. The bride and groom would light all of the element candles together at the beginning of the ceremony and then toward the end the lone candle in the center is lit while the other lights are extinguished, symbolizing the unity of all of the elements between the bride and groom.

Lillianna came into the den to see me and smiled her bright loving smile just as Claudine popped onto the back porch. Lillianna reached over and let her into the house, as I nodded to give consent and we talked about the wedding at first but the conversation soon turned to my nightmares.

"I remember when I was pregnant with Christean I had horrible nightmares. I had been missing Alexander so much and my heart ached for him every night while I could feel how hurt he was by my absence. I was so stressed out." Lillianna admitted.

"That is what Belinda keeps saying; that I am stressed." I explained, but then Claudine asked me a very important question,

"Sookie, could you be pregnant?" Lillianna and Claudine shared a look as I answered.

"No, it isn't time yet. Hunter said I have the babies in May so we should be getting pregnant some time next month on our honeymoon." I answered just as Hadley wandered in to the den.

"Hunter said what?"

"Remember Hadley, Hunter said that he dreamed I'll have the babies in May." She gave me an 'oh shit' look and began to speak.

"Okay, Sookie, now I don't want you to freak out or anything, but you know that last year was Hunter's first year in school."

"Yes." I said, wondering where this was going.

"Well, he learned the months of the year, but he had a little problem with them."

"What little problem?"

"He reverses March and May, as in he says January, February, May, April, March…"

"So when he said I would have the babies in May… he actually meant… March?"

"I'm not sure, but it is possible." As I tried to take in the fact that I could already be pregnant Lillianna chimed in,

"It would explain you being sick, tired, irritable and the nightmares. Faery's are prone to nightmares when we are pregnant." Well that would have been good information to have had some weeks ago I thought as my brain went into overdrive.

"I don't want to tell Eric until I am sure. He will be so disappointed if we are wrong. Who can go get me a pregnancy test?"

"I can." Lillianna offered as she popped away immediately. 15 minutes later I stood in the bathroom off the upstairs bedroom that Eric called mine, taking a pregnancy test. Well I took 3 actually, one that would come back with a plus sign if positive, one that would show double lines and one that would just read pregnant if I was indeed with child. I peed in one of the little disposable Dixie cups that we keep by the sink and then dipped each stick into it. I quickly set the timer for the required time before opening the door and sitting on the bed with the girls. Lillianna had held one hand and Hadley the other while Claudine simply paced and when the timer went off it was Lilli, who said,

"Good luck, Sookie." I walked into the bathroom and was immediately greeted with three very clear results; a plus sign, a double line and one that simply read the word I had waited on all my life to see, 'Pregnant' I sat down on the floor and wept with joy.

**EPOV**

I awoke earlier than normal; it was only around noon and normally I awoke mid afternoon, but I felt an overwhelming pull to be with Sookie. She was crying; my vampire hearing let me know that, but our bond told me she was happy, overjoyed really. I did not want to intrude if it was wedding planning or other 'women-only' secrets on that level. She had had a tight clamp on part of our bond for weeks and I had attributed it to her wanting to surprise me with something at the wedding, but now I knew that was not the case. This felt like something was protecting Sookie I could feel the hum that I had grown increasingly fond of these past couple of weeks and it felt strong; it also felt as if it was calling to me. So with some trepidation I rose and began to search out my beloved.

I did not call out for her as I followed the hum of the bond to find her in 'her' room with Hadley, Claudine and Lillianna. The girls were squealing and hugging her so I assumed it was wedding related and I was about to slip undetected back to my lair when I felt the pull again. Sookie's hand went to her stomach as Lillianna asked,

"So how far along do you think you are?"

"The last one I remember for sure was a couple of weeks before the council meeting Marcus and Alexander had, so that was what?" she giggled out to her cousins as her happiness had made her oblivious to my presence. I was also intrigued now and clamped down the bond to remain undetected.

"The meeting was May 12th so if it was a couple of weeks before… then you ovulated around… so you would be 12 weeks or maybe 13 weeks… oh my Lord Sookie! Why is Eric not hearing the heartbeats?" the moment her cousin said heartbeats I knew and I walked into the room, holding out my trembling hand to her stomach and asked,

"Is it true?" She smiled and nodded as she pointed into the bathroom at what looked like sticks to me, but she quickly explained they were pregnancy test and that according to them we were with child. Suddenly everything made sense; the hum in the bond was the little ones. Whenever Sookie and I were together there was the hum, the part of her that remained hidden from me was the little ones protecting/cloaking themselves as if to not be found out. They were protecting their mother; 'good little ones' I thought with a smile.

I took her in my arms as she began to explain her day and how she found out, but that mattered not to me. All that mattered was my mate and my children that she carried inside of her. I growled at Claudine, Hadley and Lillianna,

"Leave us…"

"And so it begins…" Lillianna giggled as she took a very shocked Claudine's hand and started for the door with Hadley in tow as well. "Call Laurell tonight, if she hears about this secondhand it will be your ass Viking." The faeries popped away as Hadley headed for the guesthouse, leaving me and my mate.

"Come, lay with me." I cooed to her and she followed me without question or even a comment as to how rude I had just been to her cousins. Once in our resting chamber I lay my head on her stomach and began to talk,

"Hello my children, Far is here and I will protect you and your Mor. I am here." We lay like that for the longest time until I realized we should probably consult with Dr. Ludwig. She is a pain in my eternal ass but there was no debating that she was a damn good doctor.

"We should call Dr. Ludwig, she can be trusted and she will need to see to you." My mind was in overdrive, I wanted Marcus, Laurell and Alexander to rise soon so I could talk to them about what needed to be done now. We had to start planning for protection of Sookie for when she started showing which I guessed would be around the time when we returned from our honeymoon. Surely that would be enough time to…. Sookie broke me from my thoughts with her soft voice,

"Husband, come back to us. Stay here with me and the babies. Don't worry yet, don't plan anything yet; let's just enjoy our miracle for a little while." She placed my hand on her stomach and the bond began to hum more intensely and I could feel a contentment that was not ours join the bond. It was our children; they felt protected and happy. I closed my eyes and damn near wept as I saw my beloved wife's eyes fill with her silver tears of joy.

"Sookie, I can feel their happiness. My mate let down your guard, you have put up a natural barrier around them and they have put one around you. They are letting theirs down because they know they are safe with us right now. Let go of the bond…" She relaxed in my arms and I heard the sweetest sound of my entire life; two strong heartbeats.

"Oh Eric, I can hear them. I hear their little hearts beating. How could I have not known I was pregnant? How did I put up this shield around them and not know?"

"I am not sure Lover as we are new to this, but I think it is the way a faery cloaks itself from a predator. The babies had no way of knowing what vampire or faery to reveal themselves to so I would guess that they cloaked themselves and when your womb felt that your body's natural instinct to protect your young did the rest. Stranger things have happened Sookie." I smiled.

"Eric I don't think I have ever been happier." She cuddled into me and we lay there in silence except for the beating of our children's hearts. Finally she asked,

"Eric, how do you say father and mother in your language, or in what used to be your language? I know it has changed over the years."

"Far och Mor is what I called my parents, unless I wanted something, and then I called my mother, Mamma." I replied.

"So that is what you said before. Okay so how do you say daddy and mommy?"

"Pappa and Mamma" I smiled and she said,

"I like both. What do you think they will call us, Pappa and Mamma or Far and Mor?"

"I believe that I have become partial to Dada and Mama, but whatever they call us will be wonderful." I smiled and she knew I was talking about liking the way Elizabeth and Maggie talked to their parents.

"Mommy and daddy, we are going to be a Mommy and a Daddy… wow…" she giggled and laid back down on my chest to rest.

**SPOV**

Two days later and many, many hugs and squeals later, it was my wedding day. The entire family was here and it was almost time. Laurell was doing my hair, Pam my make-up and Belinda was an overall basket case trying to wrangle Elizabeth, Maggie and Hunter; my flower girls and ring bearer, respectively. Since it was a Viking tradition for the groom and bride to walk down the aisle together and I wanted to respect Eric's traditions too we decided that I would walk out of the house, down the deck to Eric and we would walk the rest of the way together. I would finally get to walk to my groom. In less than one hour I was walking to my groom; after that he would be mine forever in the eyes of my God and the state of Louisiana.

Creepy John Quinn kept trying to say he could do the ceremony but much to my surprise and happiness my childhood minister had had a change of heart and agreed to marry us. He said that he had come to realize that love was love, no matter what. I had an overwhelming feeling that Laurell had glamoured him as that was her standing comment but I didn't care; I was just happy he was there. He was the one who had baptized both me and Jason when we were little, he did both our parents funerals and Gran's so it felt right that he was here. Not to mention that I did love the old coot.

I was fidgety and Pam was getting more and more put out with me as she said,

"Sookie, damn it, hold still!" Just as she fussed at me a small zap came from within my abdomen and popped her. I held up my hands and said,

"Don't blame me. They don't like the way you are talking to me." The babies had recently taken to zapping loud noises. Not to be outdone Pam got eye level with my belly and said,

"You two listen up, this is your Aunt Pam and I am trying to do your mother's make-up so she will look pretty for your daddy. You want her to look pretty for daddy right? Well hold still or I will tell Far that you were naughty."

"Pam, don't threaten my babies."

"It wasn't a threat… if those little boogers zap me again, I_ am _telling Eric." Just when she said zap Maggie did not help the situation by zapping Pam on the ass, while she clapped her hands and giggled,

"Zap Momma Pam… zap!" and there was more giggling with Elizabeth clapping and giggling out,

"Again! Again!"

"Alright, that is enough!" Laurell said in her authoritative voice before smiling and winking at Maggie and Elizabeth. "I want all the children to go out and wait in the den. Adele and CJ there will be no more zapping anyone and Pam, you need to calm down. I know you want everything to be perfect for them and it will be." That was that, everyone obeyed and I felt a calming presence through the bond. Eric was close. I went to move but Laurell stopped me.

"No, you cannot go to him yet. He is paying your bride's price to Felipe and Niall. Trust me it is needed and will be fine. You are not being purchased so don't take it that way. Take what he is doing as a great honor." She smiled as I tried to relax. "We will finish dressing you, you will walk out as we practiced, you will watch the exchange without saying a word about it, and then you will go to him and then the two of you will walk down the aisle together." She reminded me. I patted my stomach and whispered,

"We will be with daddy soon." When I did walk out the door my breath was taken away by how beautiful he was tonight. The creamy white linen tunic and pants that he had on, matched my gown and he had worn his hair down for me. I was so happy and I felt the babies' excitement grow as I neared their father.

**EPOV**

I could feel my beloved and I knew that she wanted to come to me, but she was waiting as she was supposed to. I walked with my two greatest possessions my father's broadsword and my mother's broach, to Niall and Felipe. As per my ancient custom they would not acknowledge me until my bride was here with us so I closed my eyes and waited. I felt her before I heard Felipe say,

"My precious one." And Niall sighed as he commented to Laurell, "She is even more beautiful than you and I did not think that possible." Laurell walked to me and hugged me as she whispered,

"Open your eyes and see your bride." I opened my eyes and could not believe that which I saw. She was beautiful beyond my wildest imagination. My eyes swept over her from head to toe. She wore a gossamer gown with pearls that seemed to be sewn into several different layers of material. The gown was long and flowing but full with a shimmer to it, I think from the pearls catching the light from the candlelight that was everywhere. She was barefoot and it seemed to fit with the gown that she would be. The crown she wore I knew was her own, but the veil that was weaved through it I did not recognize, though something told me it was from Laurell or her Faery family ancestry. She was a vision and truly a Faery princess more that a vampire Queen in this moment. Perhaps that was more fitting that she be a princess on her wedding day. Isn't that what all little girls want to be a princess on their special day? Her smile and Niall's voice broke me from my thoughts,

"If you wish to wed this woman you must pay the bride's price."

"I bring to you the sword of my father's father, the weapon I have fought and won many battles with and the wedding broach of my mother, the gift my father gave to her on their wedding night. These are my most prized possessions." I handed the sword to Niall and the broach to Felipe. Sookie was about to protest me giving these things away but I stopped her by saying,

"As much as these possessions mean to me, they pale in comparison to what my bride means to me." She smiled as Felipe spoke.

"I accept this token and give it to my child for safe keeping." He turned and put the broach on Sookie's gown. I swear by the Odin it looked like it was part of the gown and had always been there. Then Niall spoke to me,

"I accept this token and I give it to the man who will be charged with keeping my great-granddaughter safe." He handed my sword back to me and I sheathed it onto my back. I realized as she came toward me how the colors of her gown seemed to match the color of linen that I had wore. My bride's price was paid and my bride was smiling brightly at me as she began walking down the stairs to meet me where I waited on the second landing for this special moment with my loving bride.

**SPOV**

We stood alone now on the second level of the outside deck as Laurell, Niall, Felipe, and the others went to join the rest of the wedding party. I could hear music and saw Hunter tug on Eric's pant leg as he went by saying,

"Hurry Uncle Erwic and you look pwetty Aunt Sookie." But neither of us looked away from each other as the world melted away and love sang to only us. I was also vaguely aware that the rest of the wedding party was beginning to make their way to the lakeside ceremony. The girls were in the little white dress with deep orange bows and Hunter with his little Sunday suit of fine linen.

The family would be seated first, fairy, vampire and human alike and since most of my blood relatives were people that Eric considered family we did not have a bride's side or a groom's side. Instead there were several rows of chairs in a semi-circle around the gazebo. As we were left alone for a moment or two before we were to walk down Eric leaned over and kissed my cheek as he spoke,

"You are more beautiful than any sight I have ever seen."

"Well, I bet you say that to all the girls." I smiled unable to contain my joy and the babies were practically singing out loud to us with their joined happiness. I knew it was too soon to feel them moving but I would have sworn on a stack of Bibles that I felt them move. We clung to each other as we looked at the 'Faerytale' wedding Pam, Claudine, Laurell and I had created. The billowing white tents that flowed with the extra material seemed to take on a life of their own as they danced in the wind. The soft flickering candlelight filled the night air as did the twinkle lights that Pam had insisted on were just perfect. The path way was lit with honest to God torches that would be used later when we were "led to bed"; it was a Viking ritual that I had thought Eric would like. It was a surprise I had dreamed up for him.

From our vantage point we could see our family and friends. Jason led Jessica to her little perch where she was positioned to help with the flower girls before going and sitting in between Niall and Laurell who of course had Marcus, her eternal companion on her other side. Jessica, Belinda, Mary Jo, and Sarah were worried with the ceremony being so late that the little ones might have a mini-meltdown so it was decided that Jessica; their favorite playmate would stay near them. Claudine sat with Lillianna and Christean, who was of course with his vampire Thalia. I smiled at the fact Thalia had found love at 1200 years old. Eric pointed out that Sven was here with Livy, Bobby and Evelyn. Belinda and Pam stood at the front with the minister as did Alexander. Sam was sitting with Bill and Sarah near the front on the outside of the aisle, they too were strategically placing themselves so they could get to Elizabeth if she decided she no longer wanted to be a flower girl.

It was almost time for us to walk forward as the girls and Hunter were almost in place. Marcus' seat was positioned so that he could get up and down as he was officiating part of the Vampire rituals we had included. Laurell was going to help with the unity candle and some Faery parts of the wedding. Then I had Alexander, Lillianna, Pam, Belinda, Marcus and Laurell who would be the ones who led us to the house with the torches after the reception. All the hired help waiting was on the other side of the house away from the ceremony as I did not want the servers to be witnesses to our wedding. I had some major trust issues and just as I was getting anxious Eric brought me back to the present with a sweet kiss on my cheek while saying,

"It is time for you to become Mrs. Eric Northman. Are you ready?"

"Yes, I've been ready for a long, long time!" I said happily as we descended the last set of stairs and headed toward the gazebo by the lake. I had been Mrs. Northman in Eric's world for some time now, but I was looking forward to changing my name on my driver's license, something about that made it 'real' for me. As we approached the gazebo, my breath was taken away as I saw all these little miniature long boats with candles in them floating all over the lake. I looked up at Eric and he smiled. It would seem that I was not the only one with some surprises lined up for tonight. The gazebo itself was lit with tiny twinkle lights and candles alike; it was truly a wonderland. Hunter stood in front of Alexander and I could tell he was trying not to fidget with his little suit while balancing the rings on the pillow. He was taking his responsibilities very seriously.

Elizabeth was pulling at her deep orange ribbon while Maggie tried to hold her hand. She then lifted a handful of rose petals toward Eric and I and giggled loudly as she proclaimed,

"petty…owers." Which I think was Elizabeth speak for 'pretty flowers' but who knows. Sarah and Jessica reached to get her just as Eric picked her up and agreed with her that they were indeed pretty flowers. He then handed the exuberant little girl to her blushing mother. Maggie however was playing the part of a big girl and stood her ground with a smile toward her mother. Belinda was beaming with pride and smiling at Eric and I. Mary Jo was also smiling at her daughter with pride. I was trying to take it all in we had worked so hard and I wanted to see every detail and make sure Eric saw as well.

He was holding my hand and stroking my thumb very gently in an effort to calm me. I was not in a state of panic or having any anxiety issues, I was just so excited and happy that my emotions must have seemed all over the place to him. Him sending calm though the bond prompted the babies to do the same and I took a huge breath as it washed over me I felt the calm coming from within me and from Eric's side of the bond, and it was just what I need to center myself. I looked to Eric and he then looked to the Reverend, who began,

"Dearly beloved we are gathered here this day to join Sookie Marie Stackhouse and Eric Northman in holy matrimony. Who gives this woman to this man?" Jason, Niall, Felipe and Laurell stood and in a joint voice said,

"We do." They sat back down and Eric and I turned to look at each other, both of us slightly surprised by their simultaneous answer. We had not had a wedding rehearsal of this part of the ceremony as the Reverend was unable to be here last night. We did go over the lighting of the unity candle and some other aspects of the vampire rituals that Marcus would be overseeing. I was overjoyed as Eric held my hand and we listen to what the pastor was beginning to say.

**EPOV**

My mate was listening intently to the Reverend as he spoke, but I was listening to her heartbeat and the heartbeats of our unborn children. I responded when spoken to thanks to my vampire way of thinking, but I was lost in the love coming from our bond. Not to mention the hazy feeling of contentment coming from the little ones. The little man was speaking again and expecting a response from me so to please my mate I turned my attention to him and repeated his words.

"I Eric, Ulrichson nee Northman, son of Ulrich and Leonora, do so solemnly swear to love, honor and cherish my mate and wife, Sookie Marie Stackhouse all the days of my life." We smiled at each other and she actually giggled at the wording. It was what the Reverend was used to a bride and groom who only had one lifetime to give each other, but we had eternity so I added., "You are my sun, my moon and my eternity. I will never leave or forsake you and I will put you above all others, I am yours, this I swear." She then spoke her vows to me,

"I, Sookie Marie Stackhouse, do so solemnly swear to love, honor and cherish my husband, Eric Northman all the days of my life." She too added a little more to her vow, "You are my breath, my heartbeat and my Eternal Love, I will never run or put another before you, I will honor our covenant for all eternity, I am yours, this I swear." We were then directed to light the unity candle as it would burn as Marcus took over the ceremony and we swapped blood. It had been decided that we would do it discretely since the children were here. We would not use the knife we would draw from each other's necks and make it so it looked more like a kiss. Marcus rose and he began to speak as we lit each candle and he explained the significance to the crowd,

"Please light your unity candle, the spirit candle signifies the soul within and how your wish is to make your two souls one. The water candle helps us see the depths of which you love can go. The fire candle shows us all how brightly the love within you can shine. The earth candle is proof of how grounded and solid your love truly is and the air candle is the catalyst that makes the world see how your love for each other encompasses all that which you do. Your love is who you are and what you do." We finished lighting the candles and my beloved Sookie looked up to me and mouthed 'I love you' before Marcus began finishing his part of the ceremony.

"Every millennium there is given to the world a great love, a love that old men will tell stories of and young men will write their love stories about and it is my belief that this is that great love. Eric is a brave and fine warrior and Sookie is a loving and great leader, together they will do great things." He paused, "You have come here this night to join your lives not just in the eyes of the law of this great state, but in an eternal commitment that will know no end. I will ask you to now, in front of your family and friends on this most precious night to refresh your bond and drink. If this is your wish then signify by saying 'I will' and bare your neck to your mate." I believe I took Sookie by surprise as I answered first.

"I will." I bared my neck to her as I lifted her up in my arms so she could reach my neck. I heard that sweet little click to let me know her little fangs had indeed popped out and she bit me very gently and drank more deeply than I had expected. She sent me a mental note as to that, _'Sorry baby, I was hungrier than I realized, I forgot to eat lunch.' _She smiled her embarrassed smile and blushed as I sat her down. She then said,

"I will." Baring her neck to me in total trust and I kissed her pulse point tenderly and took a very small nip before Marcus began to speak again.

"Now the couple will light the center candle together and extinguish the five elemental candles in the reverse order of the way they were lighted. This will signify the joining of all the elements together within them and thereby making them one." Sookie put her hand in mine and lit a small fire in her palm and we lit the center candle together, then I pinched each of the smaller candles to put them out. It was then that the human minister stood back up and resumed control of the ceremony.

"Do you have the rings?" In a very strong voice Hunter said,

"I have the rings." Sookie reached to the pillow he held and took the ring for me off it and turned it in the candle light so I could see the inscription, 'My Eternal Love', making me smile like a loon. The minister began, "Repeat after me" and Sookie did,

"I, Sookie Marie Stackhouse, take you Eric, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this night forward, for as long as we both shall be. With this ring, I thee wed." She slipped the ring on my finger and it was just like her; a perfect fit. Then it was my turn,

"I, Eric Northman, take you Sookie, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this night forward, for as long as we both shall be. With this ring, I thee wed." I turned the ring before slipping it on her finger so she could see I too had had hers engraved. It simply read, 'My Heart's Desire'. A single silver tear escaped her eye and rolled down her beautiful face.

"You may kiss your bride." Like he needed to tell me that, I thought as I smiled and kissed what was mine. While we were kissing he began to speak again,

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. Everyone, may I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Eric Northman." was what he said; what I heard was Sookie's heart sing to me,_ "You're mine and I'm yours, forever."_

**SPOV**

There was a thunderous round of applause for us as we turned away from the gazebo and walked to the embrace of our family and friends. Eric picked me up and I knew that there was no talking him out of carrying me so I did not even try. There were a few transitional moments while Lillianna informed Quinn that the wedding was over and he was needed to set up the rest of the reception area. He had kept his word by keeping all of the staff in a big white tent in the front of the house. I made sure he knew that the wedding was strictly off limits to anyone but our friends and family. Eric carried me over the pebble stone path and up to where the tables where set up for the dinner and I was happy to see Constance arriving as we did not think she was going to be able to attend at all since she was preparing for a summit that would be held in her state in a couple of months. We all would be attending that together.

"Constance! I am so happy you made it. When did you get here?" I asked from Eric's arms.

"I got here just in time for the unity candle. I have not seen one like that in many years. It almost made me have an emotion." She smiled her wicked smile and looked for Felipe. I was happy that Felipe had somebody and that he loved her and she loved him, but I will be honest, sometimes the Queen of Alabama scared the crap out of me.

"Eric, dance with me while they set the tables and the band gets in place… please…"

"Of course, but there is no music."

"Then sing to me, sing me our song…" I smiled into the crook of his neck and he danced around the floor with me still in his arms and sang to me. I was lost in our love and looking across the lake when something caught my eye. There was a reflection, at first I thought it was the candles from one of the longboats that were all over the lake, but then I realized it was the candlelight glinting off of something on shore on the opposite side of the lake. I was out of Eric's arms and on the bank of our side of the lake before he could question me. The form looked like Jason, but Jason was standing less than six feet away from me with Jessica.

He raised his hand and waived a friendly wave with a sweet sort of sad smile and then he was gone. It was Dermot, he came to my wedding. What did that mean?

"Sookie, what is wrong?"

"Eric, I saw Uncle Dermot, he smiled and waved at me from the woods there."

"Are you sure?" He knew how much stress I was under but I assured him.

"Yes, I'm positive that was him. He looked just like Jason, only a little taller and broader shoulders."

"We should tell Laurell." He whispered to me, but as I turned to look for her she was standing beside me smiling.

"He wants to come home. I can feel it, but there is something clouding him and holding him back from us. We have to find a way to bring him safely home to us."

"We will Gammy… we will" I promised. The rest of the evening was a blur. There was Eric dancing with me, Pam, Belinda, Laurell, Elizabeth and Maggie. He was a hit with all the ladies, but then again I knew that before I married him. The food was incredible and the band was perfect. I was very pleased with how well everything had turned out. It did not take Pam long to start picking at me as she asked,

"So Sookie, what is on the agenda for the next couple of months?"

"Well, I still have to find my crazy uncle, there's the whole 'Sandra Pelt is going to try to kill me' thing, we have the honeymoon and when we get back we have to start planning for the babies. Then let's not forget to mention my new business venture, the nursery and garden center Alcide is currently building." I said to Pam while wrapped up in my husband's arms.

"Sookie, you are so much fun. You have added such entertainment into our existence."

"Yeah, but you only think that I'm _fun_ 'cause I'm always in trouble." I snarked.

"Of course you are in trouble… it _is_ Tuesday after all." Eric laughed out in that full throaty laugh that always makes me happy and just then I felt the same amusement from the babies. Why did I suddenly know this was going to be the theme of my life; Eric and the children teasing me for their amusement, but what did I care; I was loved. Eric remembered me and he had remembered our love, what more could a faery/vampire/telepath/human hybrid ask for after all? So I laughed along with them and then it was time for the last surprise for Eric, and when the torch bearers took their places he looked at me with a look I will never forget.

"You honor me…" was all he could get out and not breakdown. No one else heard it but I knew that his voice cracked. We took our place behind Marcus who led the way, Pam and Belinda were next and in front of us by about three feet, we were followed by Lillianna and Alexander who were about three feet behind us, and in the very back was Laurell. Laurell only followed to the lower deck, then it was Lillianna and Alexander who stayed on the upper deck, Pam and Belinda went all the way to the back door, but it was Marcus with the smaller handheld torch that took us to the elevator. Once inside Eric was overcome with emotion,

"I will never deserve you, but I will always need you. I am so glad you are mine and that I belong to you." I held him close to me as we descended to our resting chamber and reveled in the love only we share. No other love had ever been this pure and perfect, none. He was right we not only belonged together; we belonged to each other.

He very reverently removed my wedding dress, leaving me dressed in only my little white slip, bra and panties. He looked at me with a smile as he sat me on the bed and said,

"You are so tiny. I seem to forget sometimes, but every time I set you on this bed I am reminded not only of how tiny you are, but the first time I placed you in it. You were fragile and broken that night. I was unsure if you would ever be the same, but yet here you are, my strong, fierce wife." He was speaking to me but somehow I knew he was talking more to himself than to me.

"Do you know what I remember the most about that night?" I asked.

"No Lover, what do you remember most?"

"Your scent; I thought it was so odd that I could smell you so intensely. I knew before I opened my eyes I was in your arms, your bed… because of your scent. Must be a faery thing… I don't know…" I was rambling and he knew it. I reached and began undressing him taking my time and just enjoying how good it felt to touch him. Of course it was always quick to undress Eric, he never wears underwear these days, which made me think about the tiny red underwear he wore that faithful night I found him running down Hummingbird Lane. I was soon laughing and he smiled as he leered at me,

"Not the reaction I was hoping for…"

"I thought about the red underwear. You never wear underwear, why did you have it on that night?"

"I was going to change into my "thrall wear" at the club that night. I wore the red underwear because Pam had bought me a new pair of leather pants… it takes a while to break in leather pants when you have a gracious plenty." He smirked as he took a step forward and kissed me senseless.

"Lover, I think you think too much… Now let me love you." He finished undressing me and lay down with me on the bed. I couldn't have stopped rubbing myself against him if he had asked me to so I was really glad he liked it and was responding to it. Our bond was humming and I had cocooned the babies early in the evening so no staff at the wedding reception would know I was pregnant. Eric said Supe's can smell breeding females and I was glad I did. I wanted the babies to know that daddy loved mommy, but I did not what them exposed to 'some' of daddy's emotions just yet. All the babies knew was that daddy was very happy, safe and loved and that mommy felt the same way, so they were happy and humming.

"Oh Sookie that feels so good… please…" His moan spurred me on and I crawled down the bed and began kissing my way up his long lean legs. I kissed from his ankles to the back of his knee and when I reached his inner thigh it drew a hiss out of him that made me wet between my legs. His eyes snapped open and his nostrils flared at my arousal.

"Are you wet for me little faery? Who are you tonight, my naughty little faery or my sweet little vampire?" There was only one answer that would do.

"No, I'm your wife." I continued to kiss him and lick him everywhere but where he wanted at first. I wanted him to feel the love not the lust. In the moment before I took him in my mouth I looked up into his eyes and saw them clouded with happy red tears; I knew I had achieved my goal.

"Sookie… yes… turn this way so I can kiss you too… please LOVER…"He halfway sat up so he could reach my hips and turned me around on him with the ease of how I can pick up a book. He sat my core onto his lips and began to give as good, if not better than, he was getting. I was so slick, so wet and I needed him deep inside me. Just when I couldn't take it anymore he gave in and brought me hard. I was panting when he very gently laid me down on the bed. He looked at me smiling at me in my haze and whispered,

"Now, I get to take you as my wife, in our bed, for the first time. I love you Sookie Northman, I love you." He spread my legs apart and pressed each glorious inch inside me very, very slowly. It was such a luscious feeling and I couldn't take my eyes from between our legs. It always amazed me not only how wonderful it felt to be part of him but to have him as part of me. I suddenly had to cling to him; much as I had the first night he brought me here. I clung to him and whispered,

"Tell me again…" and he knew exactly what I need to him to say,

"I will never leave or abandon you… I love you…"He pulled me up onto his lap and I wrapped my legs around him with him still inside me. I pressed my forehead to him and told him the first promise I ever made to him again,

"I'll never run… I AM YOURS…" I was weeping but I was the happiest I had ever been in my entire life. I had Eric, I had our babies… I had… every promise he had ever made me. He cried with me but this time it wasn't for time we had lost or bad things that had happened; it wasn't even out of fear of the future. It was out of sheer unadulterated happiness and love. A love that was worth remembering; a love that would never end and as we both found our end together we looked in each other's eyes knowing we would never be lost and alone again. I fell asleep that night in my vampires, no in my husband's arms; there were no nightmares or screams in the night only sweet uninterrupted sleep.

COMPLETE - THE END - (Until next time…. Mmmmaaaaawwwww…)

**A/N: I don't know what to say except, Thank you and I love you.**


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